Their weakness, The Princess's harem
by who1roman4
Summary: Azula finds an intoxicating new sort of power
1. Chapter 1

The Fire Nation princess sat on a rock in the middle of the clearing. Her long sharpened fingernails were drumming on her knee as she watched Ty Lee pace in front of her. Her golden eyes were slightly squinted and her thin red lips drawn tight as the girl she observed was under fire of scrutiny. They traveled alongside the pink girl, who moved back and forth fluidly as if keeping time with every length she paced. Ty Lee felt the need to remain in motion; constant motion. She feared that if she were to speed up, slow down, or stop, the princess would reach an answer. Azula was thinking, and that made Ty Lee nervous.

Azula always thought, about something or rather. She was always scheming about something, figuring out how to manipulate someone, or finding … weaknesses. The last word made Ty Lee shiver internally so that the firebender would not see it. Finding an opponent's weakness was the firebender's favorite things to do, other than mercilessly exploiting it.

The fire princess smirked, as if reading Ty Lee's thoughts. The acrobat fought another shiver that threatened to run along her spine. Her normally bubbly expression was absent and instead placed with one of neutrality except for a slight scrunch of her eyebrows. Azula had discovered her weakness a while ago and had been deliciously pleased to find that weakness, was the fire bending prodigy herself. It had really been more of an accident, the discovery at least.

Ty Lee had been practicing her cartwheels in the fire nation palace garden while Azula, much like she was today, sat drumming her fingers on her crossed legs. They had returned to the palace briefly before embarking on their mission to capture the banished prince Zuko and his uncle Ihro. The Fire Lord demanded to inspect her elite squad before approving. Azula had a good deal of confidence in her two comrades and doubted that there were many who held their level of expertise anywhere, let alone the fire nation. But there was always room for… improvement.

So Azula sat in her royal armor, freshly polished with her royal crest tucked neatly in her hair, while Ty Lee flipped in her pink acrobat costume exposing a large section of her tight tummy and the slight lines of her hips that led underneath her pink drawstring pants. The Princess looked for any imperfections: watching every move searching for some imbalance, misstep, or struggle in her motions. After all, it had been a long time since seeing her childhood friend in action. There had been the skirmish in New Ozai, but she hadn't had time to dissect their movements. Although she would never admit it, she had gotten a bit too excited seeing the avatar and his little friends.

Her golden eyes always held an intense focus that was nearly tangible. Ty Lee could _feel_ them on her; she could _always _feel the young prodigy's gaze when it was on her. The firebender had always evoked a certain reaction in Ty Lee. She wasn't exactly sure why, but Azula made her feel…hot. She reasoned that firebender's are naturally warmer than anyone else, and Azula was a prodigy and therefore probably even hotter than most. But she also knew her aura didn't lie and Azula made wisps of red flare though her normally pink surroundings. She prayed to Agni that the red didn't mean desire.

Ty Lee landed her last turn and didn't move for a moment to center herself. That mistake would cost her. She felt golden eyes burning into her back. The heat crept up her spine and before she could bite it back, caused a shiver to run through her. Ty Lee gulped, she didn't have to turn around to know that the firebender had risen and now strode towards her.

The Princess had almost missed it, but Azula never missed anything. She had seen the shiver run through the acrobat and the way it had run through her entire back, spreading both high and low. She noticed the pinch of Ty Lee's shoulders as it rippled up her neck and the small quake in her perfect pretty bottom when it slipped between her legs. Azula knew then it was something other than a quick wind chill that had caused Ty Lee's reaction and she had a good guess of what, Azula was never wrong.

"_Ty Lee_" Azula's voice was right behind her.

She didn't want to turn around and face the prodigy, but she knew it would be worse if she didn't. She shifted awkwardly and found herself looking into the fierce eyes of the Fire Nation's Princess. Her stomach dropped and the heat that had been permeating around her back flushed forward and began to creep on to her face. She swallowed, hard. One corner of Azula's red lips turned upwards in a victorious smirk.

"Yes p-princess?" She knew her prayer's had not been answered when her she felt her heart thump. This was no simple autonomic reaction she had felt that thump somewhere else too, just much lower.

Azula's eyes were locked with hers and she felt her knees buckle a little. Those were Azula's despoiling eyes. Ty Lee was certainly in for something, the thought terrified. She knew Azula would get exactly what she wanted from her. Something told the acrobat that she would give it willingly, if not begging for Azula to take it. Ty Lee wanted to cry out for Mai, but she had gone to the city upon her mother's orders.

"Is something wrong, _Ty Lee?_" The princess's voice was slick and dripped like venom. Especially the way she said her name.

"N-nothing at all princess!" she squeaked. She felt herself shrinking before the Fire Nation Princess.

"I just thought you might have gotten cold. I saw you _shiver._" Azula's voice turned to velvet, she was taunting now. She looked the way a cat would when playing with its food. She hadn't noticed when she moved but Azula was much closer now. Ty Lee felt herself sway a little.

"N-no princess, I'm fine." She was sure by now her face was in full flush. She was being swallowed by Azula's eyes now. God it had been so long since Azula's eyes had been on her like this. It was terrifying the way it consumed her, but she had also craved it terribly.

She was so focused on the princess's eyes that she hadn't noticed Azula's hand rise to touch her cheek. She flinched visibly at the contact. Although the gesture appeared caring, Ty Lee could feel the razor sharp nails scratching softly against her skin.

"That's funny, you seem very warm." Ty Lee tore her eyes away from the princess and clenched them shut. Not only could she feel the pure heat from Azula's hand on her face, but she felt the heat resonating off of Azula's body from under her royal armor. She shivered more violently this time, clenching her eyes shut.

"Too warm.." Azula seemed to continue, her voice rich with power. "Perhaps you have a _fever_." Azula's body was now a centimeter away from Ty Lee's. And this time Ty Lee's knees really did buckle, and her arms instinctually flew up to grab the only thing around her. She felt her hands fall against sheen metal covered shoulders, trying to steady herself. She dropped them immediately after finding her footing only to feel warm hands on her waist and five sharp points digging into both of her sides. Ty Lee's whole body froze, despite the burning that was going on inside of her. Her chest was pounding now and the heat had traveled lower following the path of her stomach.

Azula was gleaming. She was extremely satisfied with the effects she was having on this girl. She could feel every twitch and tremble she evoked on Ty Lee. Had she known she could control her in this way earlier…well, school would have been a lot more interesting. She reveled in holding power over others. Whether through blackmail, strength or terror, it made her blood swell and her skin tingle, but nothing she had done in the past compared to this. This was a power that was terrifying, absolute, and completely intoxicating. The way she was making Ty Lee's body react was completely out of her control. Azula wanted to know how far out of control she could make Ty Lee go.

Azula leaned forward so her lips were brushing against Ty Lee's, "Are you positive nothing is wrong?"

All of the air in Ty Lee left her. The heat that had been edging down her body flared in her centre. Ty Lee felt herself squirm as she felt Azula's nails press harder against her bare skin. Ty Lee would have cursed her choice in outfit if she could think coherently. She wore what she always did, her pink tunic and pants that left her mid-drift bare, allowing complete access to Azula and her nails. She would have also thought that Azula must be able to feel the heat between her legs, being a firebender and all, but at this point all cognitive thought had fled. Her mind was now at the hands of her primal instincts, led by desire.

Azula smiled wickedly. She indeed could feel the heat in Ty Lee and where it was most concentrated. Ty Lee was undeniably turned on and quickly reducing to putty at Azula's fingertips. She moved her hand to the small of Ty Lee's back, holding her with one hand as she used the other to grasp Ty Lee's chin. She felt the girl buck a bit at the movement of her lower hand. Azula smiled wider.

The movement of her head caused Ty Lee to open her eyes. She looked up passively at Azula, her vision slightly foggy. Azula noticed Ty Lee's eyes almost appeared to be glazing over, the look in her eyes burning with innocent desire. It was as if Ty Lee thought she was an angel. This was incredible, thought Azula. Happy, bouncing, blabbering Ty Lee was now wrapped in her own desire. Sweet, boy loved, pretty little Ty Lee was completely seduced by Azula.

Azula thought while Ty Lee remained completely disarmed in her arms. She could do _anything_ to the girl. She had to admit that she'd had…ideas… about what she may want to do to Ty Lee some day. Ideas she'd formed in the past few years while thinking of the girl she'd known in school. She repressed a shiver when a particularly vivid image of Ty Lee in _her_ bed screaming _her _name in between pants and moans. Heat was also very prevalent between the Princess's own legs.

She thought however, that it would be too easy to take Ty Lee here in the garden. Ty Lee had fallen quickly under her spell and what fun would it be to give her everything she wanted within just a few minutes. No, she wanted to see just how much she could make the girl squirm before making Ty Lee her own. _Her_ Ty Lee. Yes, she liked that.

"Very well Ty Lee." Azula's voice slipped through the fog in Ty Lee's brain, making her scarcely aware that the princess had been talking to her. "I think we're done here for the day. We will leave tomorrow morning."

Ty Lee only nodded. She was too caught up to even realize what was happening. She felt the Princess's arm slip from around her back, nails dragging around her side before the hand was gone all together. Ty Lee slipped to the ground, and ash she did the Princess's fingers rolled off her chin. Her legs were folded beneath her as her hands braced her from behind. The heat was fading from her surroundings and she noticed that the Princess was no longer there. She remained in the garden, thinking about what had happened and praying that it would never happen again. Then she hoped desperately that it would.


	2. Chapter 2

Ty Lee was pacing incessantly and she found herself growing more nervous by each turn.

It had been happening ever since the trio had embarked on their mission. It seemed anytime the Princess sat down to think about something, Ty Lee reverted to a nervous mess. Mai often took notice of this and would tilt her head, a wondering expression marking her face as she focused on Ty Lee.

"You're acting strangely." Mai would comment in her usual flat tone.

However there was a slight quirk in her eyebrow that told Ty Lee, Mai was considerably worried by her odd mannerisms. The acrobat simply did what she did best and gave Mai a bubbly smile.

Mai would simply look at Ty Lee's face; the outside corners of her eyes slightly tilted up and squeezed shut accompanied by a large, albeit toothy, but gorgeous smile. It radiated innocence and… complete cluelessness. Mai would take a second before rolling her eyes and walking away. Who was she kidding, Ty Lee was always strange.

But she had caught Azula watching them from time to time. The princess probably thought she was good at watching people without them noticing. She could practically disappear if she wanted to; stealth was certainly a skill of hers, probably one of the best in the Fire Nation. But Mai was the best. The assassin not only had mastery over her concealed weapons, but of stealth as well. And to Mai, it looked like the Princess was waiting for Ty Lee to admit some big secret. It was suspicious, but then again, Azula was always suspicious.

Ty Lee would watch Mai stock away and let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. It was bad enough that Azula knew about her… weakness. She didn't need the assassin to know what made her knees grow week.

As the acrobat paced, she thought about what happened nearly a month ago in the palace gardens. The memory…did things to her.

Ty Lee hadn't slept the night following the incident. She lay awake trembling all night. The Princess's slept merely a few feet away from her. Albeit there was a solid wall separating the two, but not enough for the acrobat to ignore the royal's presence. The prodigy's imposing aura seeping through the walls and under the fiery sheets that cradled the acrobat.

Every time she closed her eyes the Princess's would be shinning into hers that smirk haunting her senses, and the scene would replay itself.

Ty Lee could tell the Princess was fast asleep, but this did little to quell her nerves. And the heat, still pulsed between her legs. Her body had been unable to calm since that afternoon. Her heart was still racing, shivers still ran down her spine, and heat was still pulsing between her legs. She couldn't relax even for a moment. Ty Lee, however, didn't dare touch herself.

It wasn't as though she hadn't done anything like it in the past. Azula had always made Ty Lee react _physically._ She'd remember her friend on lonely nights at the circus. It would start as fond and innocent enough memories of their childhood. Then Ty Lee would remember Azula's…special games. The ones the two would play when Mai had gone home for the day. They'd seemed innocent enough back then, but as the acrobat had matured she'd remember more exciting aspects about those games.

Azula had always liked physical games. She enjoyed pretending Ty Lee was a warrior from another nation and the two would play fight. Azula had gotten very involved in the imagination and one time threw Ty Lee against a wall, pinning the poor girl's hands above her head. Ty Lee had felt strange at the time. It wasn't a bad feeling; in fact she rather liked it at the time. It was a rare treat being so close to the Princess. And this was different from the chaste hugs they'd shared, she just didn't know how.

As she lay in bed under her tent, Ty Lee would remember days such as that and feel something new between her legs. She'd gotten the sudden urge to touch herself there. Despite the tent being empty except herself, Ty Lee checked the surroundings before her hand slipped beneath her waistband. Her face flushed instantly.

That night Ty Lee had discovered desire.

Ty Lee shifted in the crimson sheets of the fire nation palace. She wanted to, oh how she wanted to do what she had so many nights under her tent at the circus. But now Azula _knew _what she did to her. She didn't dare risk the Princess finding out she'd touched herself thinking about that afternoon.

_Honestly, _Ty Lee thought to herself, _couldn't I have hidden it from Azula a bit longer? _It had been three days since returning to the Princess's side and Azula had already seen right through her. She sighed; sometimes she really was that easy to read.

She let her mind wander to the end of their encounter… _that's enough for today…_ Ty Lee groaned aloud, it came out a bit less frustrated and more sensual than she had intended. _ What in Agni's name is in store for me now? _

If there was one thing she knew about Azula, it was that she would never leave it at just that. Azula had found her weakness, and it was only a matter of time before she took advantage of it. Ty Lee reasoned this as she continued her pacing. She felt Azula's eyes on her, she felt them prying into her as she walked.

When it came to the Princess's plans, Ty Lee knew how meticulous she was in planning her every move. Azula was a true conquer. Unfortunately this time, Ty Lee was the Princess's conquest.

It had been weeks and Azula had not made her move, if anything this had made Ty Lee increasingly anxious. She was still unsure of how exactly Azula had taken the idea of Ty Lee…well _wanting_ her. Ty Lee reckoned that the Princess found it amusing, but did she also think it was disgusting? Or worse, insulting? Ty Lee didn't even want to think of the consequences she would face if the Princess thought she was a disgrace to her crown.

Though if that had been the case, Ty Lee figured Azula would have dealt with her the moment she realized it. Then again, Azula never really did what people expected her to. She was downright devious.

Azula watched the acrobat continue to pace before her. She could practically feel the girl squirm every time Azula laid her eyes on her. Things were going well.

Whenever Azula addressed the girl, she could sense Ty Lee stiffen. Azula would sometimes let herself brush against Ty Lee, normally a rare occurrence as the Princess normally kept her distance, but she felt the acrobat heat up at every touch. Sometimes she could even get a squeak out of the girl. Things were going _very_ well.

The princess had fully enjoyed planning her actions concerning Ty Lee. Bedding the girl was a given, but how to get the girl there was the fun part. Many very interesting ideas had crossed her mind. Each possibility that crossed her mind was more deliciously pleasing than the last. She could humiliate the girl, she could _destroy _her. _She_, by no other effort than just being Azula, crowned princess of the Fire Nation. Well, come to think of it, she could do the same to many while holding that sort of title. After all, who didn't quake in fear of one of the most powerful girl people on earth?

However, Azula knew she treasured Ty Lee's reaction much more than the fear induced reaction she normally received. Ty Lee _wanted _her. She could make Ty Lee do anything because Ty Lee wanted to. It intrigued Azula to no end. She had planned to let Ty Lee flounder about for a few more days, but Azula couldn't deny the need that had been building since that day. _Well,_ Azula surmised with a smirk,_ I suppose she's sweated long enough_.

Azula rose from her seated position. Her eyes were closed as she stood gracefully. Ty Lee sensed something was different, Azula seemed…resolved. Ty Lee froze, not the smartest of decisions. But then again, Ty Lee wasn't always cast as the brightest of girls. It didn't matter, it worked just fine for Azula. She opened her eyes, catching Ty Lee's gray ones wide in anticipation. The Princess smirked, almost genuinely, this was going to be fun.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so the story will go slightly AU from here on out, mostly when it comes to the boiling rock, but i'll deal with that later. Anyway, thanks for reading! Please leave me reviews! I enjoy knowing how i'm doing. It also may give me more motivation to keep writing. You all know the drill :)**

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It was late in the afternoon by the time the pair had stopped walking. The forest had grown dense and they were probably miles away from their campsite. As far as Ty Lee could tell, it was well into the afternoon, the sky already beginning to redden as the sun set.

Since her Princess had stood, she'd merely said a single word, "come". As the word left the fire bender's lips, Ty Lee knew she was powerless to resist. She could try to tell herself otherwise, but she'd been waiting for the princess to say those words since she'd felt the first shiver run through her three weeks ago.

No, that wasn't right. It was far before that. She'd been waiting to hear the word since the night she'd realized her feelings for the young princess. That night had changed many things for Ty Lee. Not only had she discovered the meaning of desire, but in a way her fate had also been sealed.

In her young life, no one could ever make the acrobat stand still. She was wild, bouncy, and ultimately free. She imagined that if she had been born a bender, she would surely have been an airbender, fluid and ever changing as the winds.

And yet…

Despite her personality, despite everything that Ty Lee was, Azula made her stop.

When she thought of the prodigy, her mind stilled. When her eyes fell upon her, the acrobat's heart stopped. And when the princess drew near, Ty Lee swore she stopped breathing.

Azula grounded her. She secured the acrobat's presence on this earth. While Ty Lee flitted around, drifting wherever her life took her, she had never felt that she belonged anywhere. Her actions made her unique, sure. That's what the circus had been, but when she left, sometimes it felt she had never been there at all. She wondered if the people at the circus felt the same way, like Ty Lee had never existed in the first place. Rather she floated around, drifting into the lives of others only to fade away without a trace. She wasn't imposing, she didn't _make_ people remember her. No, she was not like Azula.

She was just another name and another face, being a circus freak didn't make her special it just made her kind of weird. So sure, she could do wild and crazy things, but that had only made her one of _those _girs, of which there were plenty.

But Azula- Azula simply needed to step back into the acrobat's life and the flipping girl was yanked back down to earth. The instant the Princess's eyes fell on Ty Lee, even after all those years, she felt seen. She felt different, physically, and she felt special. It seemed that because of Azula, Ty Lee existed.

So when Azula had began to walk away, Ty Lee followed the Princess willingly. Azula had yet to turn around since she'd started walking hours ago. She was the force that pulled Ty Lee any way she wanted. It wasn't like she needed to turn around to know the acrobat was there.

As her feet came together in a fitting militaristic halt, Azula remained facing away from Ty Lee. As if trained, Ty Lee stopped several feet away from the princess.

Azula stood still, but her skin tingled with anticipation. The excitement of her newest conquest had been swirling within her. The feeling was similar to the fire that always ran though her veins. Surprisingly this feeling was far more consuming.

She closed her amber eyes, attempting to harness this new power that surged through her. Plans had been running through her mind constantly, each acting itself out before her mind's eye as she saw each one coming together and Ty Lee coming apart. Azula felt a smirk pulling on the right corner of her lips.

The prodigy flanked to face the girl in pink, who let a small squeak pass through her lips as glinting golden eyes pierced her in a single shot. Azula saw everything; Ty Lee could hide nothing from her. She saw the acrobat's large gray eyes, open and looking up at her. The height difference between the two was not enough for Ty Lee to really gaze up at the princess, and not enough for Azula to peer down at the acrobat, but that was the way they stood.

Azula continued to bore into the eyes of Ty Lee, as if drawing out every bit of information they divulged. The acrobat's gray irises were laced with slight surprise and anticipation, and her pupils started to drown in something Azula identified as yearning.

The Princess didn't have to guess that whatever she'd made Ty Lee feel three weeks ago, had not dissipated with time. Rather, as she had anticipated, it had been smoldering inside the girl ready to burst into flames at the smallest indication. _Perfect_, Azula thought-just like herself, _absolutely…_

The royal teen paused. Something felt…strange. As if she was getting closer…

_Agni! _She was!

Her balance had shifted forward just slightly. She had been leaning towards Ty Lee's lips. _There is no way I will let this…girl …get the best of me._ She sneered as the word 'girl' passed through her thoughts. She was the Crowed Princess of the Fire Nation. She would not lose herself to her own desire. Not without getting what she wanted first.

Azula composed herself by breathing. _Heh, firebending is always handy…_She smiled devilishly to herself. _Well Ty Lee is alluring…in her own way I suppose._ After all, the fact that her prey was attractive only made this more fun.

The princess purposefully closed the few feet between them leaving a space between them that was just too close for comfort, but not close enough to appear suspicious. The tension between the princess and the acrobat materialized itself in thick heat waves that each girl could feel waft around them. The sensation was overpowering for both parties, despite different effects.

The acrobat felt herself slipping. Her shoulders slacked as her chest rose. Her heart was pulsing. Every beat surged through her, attributing to the darkening pink that that swept across her cheeks and sent tingles to the tips of her ears. _If she moves…if she gets any closer…I could…I could…_ Ty Lee could only think in incomplete phrases, each thought lasting only as long as one warm breath.

The prodigy on the other hand felt thrills. She stood taller, adding to her normally strict posture. She wanted to capture the girl completely.

Azula edged closer, watching Ty Lee's chest rise and fall in soft breaths. She would not miss a thing. _Just a little closer… _ Ty Lee was opening up before her again, but not in the way she had before.

The acrobat had been so nervous last time, so unsure of what she was feeling. But now Ty Lee let Azula's presence fill her every sense. She slackened further, as if relaxing into her fate. Her eyes drooped slightly, casting a half-lidded look across her features. Azula eyed them observantly. They seemed to say her name, over and over again, as if she was the _only _thing on Ty Lee's mind.

The prodigy was nearly surprised by Ty Lee's reactions. She had expected that she would have to do more to bring Ty Lee to this state. But here she was, not only inviting the Princess to take her, but asking for it.

_She seems innocent…so pure…so…Agni, Ty… _ She had not expected Ty Lee to look so beautiful. Azula had not expected to be so in awe of Ty Lee. She wondered briefly if she would have what it takes to take this girl, before she decided she out of anyone would be most fit. _Yes, _she would have Ty Lee_, I will do her better than anyone could ever dream of._

It actually surprised her how much Ty Lee wanted her. She kept realizing how ridiculously beautiful the acrobat was. It was actually absurd. So when Ty Lee kept drawing closer, Azula found herself nearly off guard. It was so unlike her, but then again, she had never encountered a Ty Lee like this. She had never encountered _anyone_ like this.

Ty Lee was unconsciously drifting towards Azula, trying to surround herself in more of the Princess's amber ambiance. It was warmer than she remembered and held the same scent, _smoky peaches. _

The princess was caught in an odd sensation between admiring the girl, and wanting to claim her. She didn't move, forward or backwards. She wasn't hesitant, but she didn't act either. Her expression was calm, but carried a characteristic edge. She just watched. She watched Ty Lee's lips as they opened just slightly, expectantly.

_Oh Agni…her lips…those soft pink lips…_

Azula felt her own lips part, as she let a hot breath pass between them. She just had to lean, just a little bit and Ty Lee would be hers. She gazed at the delicate figure before her, the quiet hunger consuming her.

She moved. It was slow, but deliberate, representative of the Princess herself. Her expression didn't change as Ty Lee's moist warm breath rose up to meet her lips, only her eyes darkened.

The instantaneous thoughts of both girls held a thunderous tension. The force between them was magnetic. The closer they drew the stronger and more completely they were pulled toward the other.

The soft skin of Ty Lee's pink lips grazed against hers.

***BOOOOOM!***

Both girls leaped backwards into their stances, startled by the crash that shook through them. Neither could remember the last time they head breathed and the hammering in their heads didn't help them to remember. They shook visibly as the broken tension wracked past them. They faced the direction of their interruption, mad blushes covering both of their faces.

"SWEET CHEEKS! IF YOU SABOTAGE MY EARTH BENDING TRAINING WITH TWINKLE TOES AGAIN I AM GOING TO QUIT!"

"WELL TOPH! IF YOU CONSIDER HURLING ROCKS AT A DEFENSLESS BOY TRAINING, THEN YOU _SHOULD _JUST QUIT!"

Azula recovered first, ripping the redness from her face. _For Agni's sake…It was that damn water-bending peasant and apparently some new earthbender. _

Katara and Toph were too busy to notice the two Fire Nation girls behind the closest row of trees. It was Aang's first earth bending lesson and it was not going well. As the two girls headed for an all out cat fight, the Avatar had slipped away while the getting had been good.

"THEY ARE FREAKING BOULDERS KATARA! AND OH YEAH? YOU THINK YOU CAN TEACH BALDY HOW TO…wait, who the hell is that!" The blind earth bender swung her accusing finger in the direction of the vibrations she felt from Azula and Ty Lee.

Realizing they had been found, Ty Lee snapped out of her flustered state just before Katara had the chance to swirl around.

"YOU!" The water bender shrieked. She pointed her hand in a similar fashion as Toph. She recognized them as two of the crazy powerful girls she had seen in Omashu, one of them being the girl who could take away her bending power.

Both pairs faced each other, three of them ready for a fight. Toph on the other hand still had no idea who the other girls were.

"Uhh…Katara…who the fuck is over there?"

Azula cocked her head to the side. Earthbender's sure were brash. _Very well…the moment was ruined anyway. Damn peasants…_

"Well since you two _Avatar _groupies interrupted us so rudely," Azula droned, the demeaning bite returning to her voice, "I guess we'll just have to _take care of you._"

Toph still didn't know who was talking to them, but from the way it sounded they seemed to think highly of themselves. So confident, in fact, that despite herself, Toph was almost worried. _Almost._

"SWEETCHEEKS!"

Katara was still slightly stunned and _actually _worried. The girl who could take her bending was scary enough, but it seemed the one in Fire Nation armor was in charge. From what she could remember, Aang said this girl was stronger than Zuko.

"Allow me to introduce myself," Azula was sneering now, wielding her usual attitude, "I am Azula, the _un-banished _Princess of the Fire Nation. This is Ty Lee. And we will defeat you."

"Oh crap…"


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so someone raised a thought about my title. Thanks! I had pretty much left that out in the summary. so the title is _Their _Weaknesses, The Princess's _Harem_ for a reason. Fear not! The story is still young. As for the Tyzula**** loyal****, don't worry, as you can tell they are the centric ship. But I also wanted to have a little fun with this one. Who knows who else Azula will crack? Keep reading! And keep reviewing! If you do, and have a favorite Azulaxsomeone ship, maybe you might _inspire _me! ****Anyway...Don't worry! I assure you, action will go down between Azula and well...someone soon!**

**and so the plot thickens...**

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"Allow me to introduce myself," Azula was sneering now, wielding her usual attitude, "I am Azula, the _un-banished _Princess of the Fire Nation. This is Ty Lee. And we will defeat you."

"Oh crap…"

Before Toph could react, the earthbender 'saw' Azula's two arms extend towards her; both hands had two fingers extended straight at her. The next thing she felt was two scorching blasts fired right at her. She had no idea that the Princess's flame was blue, but she could tell it was much hotter than any firebender's blasts she'd felt before. _Not good._

Azula smirked evilly as she saw the spark of her fires pass over the glossy eyes of the earthbender. _Too easy._

A huge wave clashed with the blasts mere feet from the momentarily petrified Toph. She shook her head vigorously, snapping herself out of the state of shock that had immobilized her. She read the vibrations surrounding her. She sensed Katara bending a glob of water overhead defensively toward the Princess. She felt light movement off to her far left. She realized it was the girl called Ty Lee doing some sort of flipping move and heading for Katara.

Azula scowled at Katara and set to square off against the water peasant, assuming might put up at least some sort of fight. She hadn't expected what came next.

Toph stomped into the ground commanding a pillar to smash into an unexpected Ty Lee, midair. The acrobat shrieked, the attack catching her off guard. This caught Azula's attention.

_So the little blind brat can fight…This might be fun._

"Ty Lee, deal with that water peasant."

"Kay Zula!"

Katara shot her head over to the mysterious fighter. She hadn't expected her to be up so quickly. Or to be so…perky…

Ty Lee leapt forward, dancing around the waterbender, attempting to jab at her chi points. Katara immediately began fending her off with her water whip.

The princess, satisfied that the water girl would be taken care of, turned her focus to the blind girl. Azula was surprised to see the young girl smirking at her confidently. Too confidently. Azula frowned, it was a cocky smile. No peasant should _ever_ feel confident while facing _her_. This girl had no idea who she was up against. She would wipe that stupid grin off her face that was for sure.

Toph Bei Fong could feel the Princess's heart rate increase, fighter's adrenaline. She could also detect an interesting rhythm to the girl's heart beat. _Oh, she's angry. _Toph smiled to herself. _This Azula chick may be the crowned Princess of the Fire Nation, but I'm the best earthbender in the world!_

The blind girl swept her left leg across the ground and bend her arms, completing her stance. She took two steps forward and lifted her arms, yanking two medium sized boulders into the air, flinging them at the firebender.

Azula dogged the rocks easily, twisting to avoid them before leaping into the air and dragging her right foot downwards, releasing an arc of blue flame from her foot. _So it begins…_

Before either of them knew it, the two had clashed for twenty straight minutes. Azula's firebending was relentless. Regardless, the firebender was surprised that her attacks had mostly been evaded or blocked.

Azula's fighting style was a mix of pure fury and a game of Pai Sho. Every move was planned out perfectly to catch her enemy off guard, if they could withstand her first attack at least. Any other earthbender would have been defeated 20 moves in at the very most. This one, however, wasn't falling for any of Azula's tricks. She wasn't trying to figure out Azula's pattern or getting impatient like others that fell so easily into her traps. She blocked Azula's blasts with attacks of her own, never switching to a full out defense, which didn't leave the Princess enough time to conjure up her trump card. She was impossibly stubborn.

The princess briefly checked Ty Lee's progress. She had knocked out one of the water bender's arms, who now labored to keep her whip in the air. Despite that, the peasant was still defending herself valiantly. Maybe there was more to these Avatar gooiness than she had originally thought.

Azula's instincts swung her head left just in time to see a massive boulder flying towards her. She punched her fists downwards, using her flames to propel herself upwards, avoiding the attack. She frowned at the younger bender smirking up at her.

"Watch out now_ Princess_, you might get hurt!" The girl shouted at her mockingly.

"Peasant!" She spat.

Azula landed firmly on the ground sending rings of fire around her, which all three fighters had to defend themselves against.

"Zula! Watch out!" Ty Lee whined after leaping over the towering walls that filled the clearing.

Azula just smirked as Ty Lee flipped over to her side. "Dear peasants, I've had fun _playing_ with you, but I have other matters to attend to. So if you'll excuse me…"

"You think we'd let you get away?" Toph shouted, as she began to advance on the firebender and her partner.

Azula dropped into another stance. Her left hand extended forward with her palm facing away, followed by her right fingers pointed menacingly at the two benders. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter. I'm _terribly _sorry." The Princess spoke with mock concern as her trademark smirk emerged.

The earthbender halted as Katara drew her water protectively.

Without a second thought, Azula spun and released a huge wave of fire at the two benders. They managed to shield themselves just in time as the inferno engulfed them. The wave passed over and burned through the forest behind them. Both girls turned to gawk at the destruction. So _that_ was the power of Azula, princess of the Fire Nation.

It didn't surprise either girl that in place of the Fire Bender and the Acrobat, only stood a clearing of charred grass.

Katara shivered as she drew her working arm around herself. Azula was _much _stronger than her brother. The way she fought scared Katara. The Princess seemed untouchable and her superior demeanor, as much as Katara despised it, only added to that affect.

Toph on the other hand gazed unfocused at where the Princess had last stood.

"What was with that exit! Is she some sort of super villain or something!" Toph commented smartly.

She ginned to herself, amused. No one she had ever fought in earth bending tournaments had fought with that much tenacity _and_ precision. There was something to her style, it was like…well fire. That was it, Azula embodied fire, in life and breath. Technically air was supposed to be her natural opposition, but she had to admit that she wouldn't mind going up against a bender like that again. Toph after all, loved a good challenge.


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, so this one is pretty long. But, I promise you'll enjoy. As always, please continue with the reviews! Especially with this one, I'm hoping for some feedback. Anyway, this fic was rated M for a reason, so don't blame me for the content in this chapter ****Enjoy!**

The two benders returned to their camp a wreck. Katara looked lopsided for some reason and Toph was, well, dirtier than usual. If that wasn't strange enough, both girls had several singe marks on their clothing.

"Did you two really have to beef it out THAT much?" Sokka's questioned, his voice elevated several levels when he spoke.

_Puberty_… Toph sighed to herself. _Sometimes Sokka seriously sounded like a girl. He wasn't nearly as impressive as Suki seemed to think he was. Then again she wasn't nearly as impressive as HE seemed to think she was._

"Shut your trap blue boy, we got ambushed!"

"You what? How? By who?" Aang nearly flew off the rock he had been perched on, rushing to Katara's side.

Toph cocked her head to the side and shifted in Aang's direction, "Tch, are you _blind_ twinkle-toes?"

The poor boy almost looked hurt.

"She means our clothes Aang." Katara tried softly.

"Oh! Right!" He chirped before recognizing the stipulation, "Zuko's here?"

It was almost comical how quickly his tone had changed. He almost growled the second part, much like the way a tricked puppy would have. He didn't like Zuko, especially because Katara sometimes acted…differently around him.

"No, it was his crazy sister!" Toph assumed the rest of the gang knew about Azula since Katara had seemed to recognize her in the forest.

"That moody Prince has a sister?" Sokka whinnied, "Great. Just what we needed. A _girl_ version of him chasing us."

"What's that supposed to mean Sokka?" Katara turned on him with her hands on her hips as Aang frowned. Why was she defending him?

"Well do you want a girly version of Zuko chasing you?" He mimicked Katara's pose, leaning over towards her.

"That's not what I meant-"

"She means that you're implying that she's a weaker version of Zuko."

Sokka spun around, he _knew_ that voice. He threw his arms up animatedly and squealed, "SUKII!"

Toph rolled her eyes and tossed her hands behind her head. _He really was a dork, _she thought trying to repress a small blush.

Nobody noticed the blind earthbender as Sokka flew across to his Kyoshi Warrior girlfriend who, despite being happy to see the watertribesman, agreed with Katara's point. But, the offense was forgotten when he wrapped his arms around her, nearly crushing the girl. She laughed lightly before returning the embrace. _Sokka could be such a dork sometimes, but he was cute…_

"What are you doing here?" He cried after greeting her properly.

Suki explained that the there had been rumors about the Fire Nation invading Ba Sing Sei and how the Kyoshi Warriors had been called upon in case something went down.

The gang looked to the ground upon hearing this news. Their travels kept them away from most war updates. Sometimes it was easy to forget that the world was also at war. It may have not a good thing to forget, but it sure made things easier sometimes.

Noticing the sudden mood change, Suki grabbed Sokka into a playful headlock. The boy almost squawked the gang into a fit of giggles. The somber mood seemed to have been lifted but the two female benders thought silently to themselves. _Maybe that's why the Princess was here…and if she was involved, there would certainly be trouble. _

The two focused on the other with silent looks of concern, then turned their thoughts to the fire nation girls and what they were possibly up to now.

Shortly after torching nearly a good section of the forest, the Princess and her acrobat returned to their camp. Mai barley blinked an eye as the Azula marched into her tent, trailed by a cheerful Ty Lee. _ Honestly, did that girl ever stop smiling? _

"So how was _your _day?" Mai's sarcasm and raspy voice received a sharp turn and glare from the firebender.

She hadn't meant to snap towards Mai. Maybe she was just a little on edge from the encounter in the forest. She had been so close before those pesky Avatar girls had nearly caught them. She didn't even beat them properly. _They __should__ have been in tears_…

But as it stood now, Azula was still riled up. She'd been too close to not get what she wanted and she _always _got what she wanted. Oh she'd make those little benders pay later.

"Oh, we were just playing with the Avatar's friends." Ty Lee chirped with a big smile.

_Always count on Ty Lee to blabber on about such useless things._

"Yes _Ty Lee_, wasn't that so _enjoyable_."

Ty Lee had to gulp. Azula hadn't said the words, but she might as well have said, "Yes Ty Lee, they interrupted right before I was about to screw you" in that dripping predatory tone of hers.

Mai raised her eye brows at the Princess.

The Princess narrowed her eyes victoriously before casting a devious smirk at Ty Lee.

"Now, if you'll excuse me I have plans to make. If something happens don't bother me. I'm _sure_ you two can handle it." With that Azula turned on her heels and disappeared out of the tent flaps.

Mai's raised eyebrows turned to the acrobat expectantly. She knew the tone Azula had used and that it certainty had another meaning. One that Ty Lee knew.

She sighed loudly.

"Ty. What have you gotten yourself into this time." It wasn't a question and didn't sound at all surprised.

Ty Lee just giggled awkwardly.

The night was still, but one soul in particular was quite restless, the Fire Nation Princess herself. It was late now and she should have fallen asleep an hour ago.

This was just outright frustrating. She had spent the remainder of the day making plans about Ba Sing Sei to get her mind off of Ty Lee. It was even mildly successful, but that was the problem. Since when had she found difficulty in concentrating on military affairs? She should have had no trouble whatsoever. Worse yet, without military strategy to think about, the scene of Ty Lee in complete surrender played on repeat in her mind.

Body and soul had been Azula's for the taking. It had worked out just as she wanted, with _that_ look on the acrobat's face.

In a manner very unbecoming of her title, the princess pouted. There would be no sleep for her tonight. Not with that dull ache between her legs. _Well, if I'm not getting any sleep tonight…_the princess sat up to lean on her elbows. She turned in the direction of Ty Lee's tent. _Neither is she._

The Princess left the comfort of her well embellished tent, meeting the brisk night air. _Tch, I really do despise the weather of these other nations…It's always too cold…_ Azula was clad in a silky blood red robe with gold lining. Just because she was away from the palace didn't mean she would be without the comforts of royalty.

She laid her eyes on the acrobat's tent. It was much plainer than hers except for a rosy pink mat at the entrance. _So like Ty Lee…_ A second gust of wind made her robe flutter around her legs. She shivered slightly, not exactly sure if the cool air had been the culprit.

Azula's lips curled into a smirk as she slipped between the tent flaps and into the dark of Ty Lee's tent. She lit a small blue flame in her palm and roamed the small area for Ty Lee's form. A stir of movement drew her eyes to the corner of the tent. Sure enough, Ty Lee lay nestled on her sleeping mat.

She was asleep, but managed to discern the flame through her slumber. The firebender edged closer as Ty Lee mumbled softly in her sleep. The acrobat turned slightly, dragging the covers from her shoulders and across her chest, her face fell towards Azula. _Like a moth to my flame…_The princess smirked darkly.

Kneeling near Ty Lee, Azula sent a flame to a nearby candle. The soft glow that filled the tent smoothed into orange, casting a warm light over the idle acrobat. _Ty Lee was always such a heavy sleeper_, the prodigy recalled as she ran warm fingertips over the girl's cheek. _So soft…_ It surprised her that a girl who spent her life away from domestic comfort could manage to keep her skin so smooth. _I wonder…if she's this soft everywhere…_

The Princess allowed her thoughts to trail off as she ran the pads of her fingers down the girl's neck. They brushed over the nape of her neck and lightly stroked the acrobat's collarbone.

"_nnmmm.._"

Her amber eyes fluttered from the trail they'd been tracking down Ty Lee's neck to her face. Her eyes were just barely stressed and her lips had parted.

Azula was still for a moment, reading the girl's breathing patterns to assure she was still sleeping. Satisfied, she ran her fingers over the same spot, earning another soft murmur. The sound was glorious to her ears. She wondered just how much she could get from the girl.

She stroked Ty Lee softly with her left hand as she dragged the sheet away from Ty Lee. Azula greedily took in every inch of Ty Lee's smooth stomach as it appeared from beneath the covers. She let her hand drag smoothly down the acrobat's taut torso, feeling the well trained muscles that lay beneath. As she reached the middle of her stomach, Ty Lee let out an urging groan. The result was instant.

Azula pounced on Ty Lee's lips just as the girl's eyes had begun to flutter open, capturing them in a single movement.

Normally upon waking, Ty Lee was drowsy. But this was far from normal. As she felt the Princess against her lips, Ty Lee snapped wide awake. She was so shocked she'd almost protested as her Princess climbed on top of her. The hand firmly pressed against her stomach convinced her otherwise. And so like Ty Lee when she was around the Princess, the acrobat ceased to think before she had even started. Her lips were moving against the Princess's as she slipped into utter surrender.

Azula felt Ty Lee go limp. She smirked against the girl's mouth as she seductively ran her tongue across slippery lips. Agni, if she had thought the girl's skin was soft then her lips were in a whole new category.

Ty Lee tried to moan, but the sound was smothered by the Princess's assaults as a tongue swiftly entered mouth. Ty Lee tried to kiss it, lick it, and suck it, stealing anything she could from Azula. She hadn't exactly known what ecstasy felt like, but she was sure that this was close.

When she had moved, Azula braced herself atop Ty Lee with her hands, but she was burning to _touch _the girl. She threw her head back to draw in some much needed air, catching a glimpse at the panting acrobat. She looked back at Azula with such awe as her eyes drowned with lust.

The princess only had a second to react as Ty Lee shot her hands up, reaching for her. Azula caught them and forced the girl's hands above her head. Azula had fallen a mere inch away from Ty Lee's face and met with an expression of pure frustration. Ty Lee wiggled against her grasp, rubbing her stomach against her center. Azula suppressed a grunt as she sneered down at Ty Lee.

"Just what do you think _you're _doing," Azula spoke almost humored by the acrobat's actions. "You've made me wait long enough for this, _Ty Lee. _Do not be fooled into thinking you will be satisfied before _me._"

If their position wasn't a clear indication of the relationship between the two, then the Princess's comment was. Despite the humor in her voice, it also gleamed with predatory intent and held an edge that would not be defied.

Azula easily secured Ty Lee's thin wrists within the grasp of her strong left hand before re-claiming the girl's lips. Using the sharpened nails of her right hand, she slashed through the breast binding's the acrobat wore to sleep. Ty Lee squeaked against her in slight protest as one of the nails left a small scratch of blood across her chest.

"Quiet _Ty Lee_." She hissed in the acrobat's ear. "You wouldn't want to wake anyone now would you?"

Ty Lee shook her head submissively as she watched Azula smirk down at her.

"_Good girl…" _

She shuddered as Azula's lips brushed against her sensitive ear, but remained quiet; even she felt wet lips sucking at her neck.

Although Azula wanted to hear the sounds she worked out of the girl, she figured it would be much more _fun_ if they came through Ty Lee's strain to suppress them. _Yes, they were much more pleasing that way._

"Unnngg..Ah-…mmnng.."

Azula squeezed harder. Ty Lee was definitely struggling already from the attention on her breasts. It was a little painful, but released a deeper pleasure as the princess kneaded them roughly. _If it was this difficult to be quiet now, what would happen if…oh Agni.._

Ty Lee could already feel Azula's hand trailing lower and lower. This was bad, very bad. With every sensation Azula created in her the normal heat she'd experienced between her legs was now throbbing, consumed by a deep ache for attention. If Azula touched her there, she'd go mad, absolutely mad.

Azula reached as far down as she could, meeting the mid of the acrobat's toned thigh. She dragged her hand up painfully slow, raking her nails against skin as she did so. Ty Lee was squirming deliciously against her. It released the pleasure she was aching for between her legs, but now was not the time. She lifted her bottom off of Ty Lee and instead laid against her. Azula's right knee positioned between the acrobat's legs as she straddled one of them, her left arm still holding the shivering girl firmly in place.

Azula watched Ty Lee's heated face as the girl tried to watch the actions of Azula's lower hand. She was cutting through one line of wrapping at a time, slowly exposing Ty Lee's privates. The girl gulped and met Azula's eyes as she cut through the last three bands, her smirk getting wider as each ripped away. Ty Lee breathed out heavily as she felt the last one snap as all of the wrappings slipped away.

She took a last savory glance at the acrobat's face. The dark rosy blush she'd come to look for, plastered all over the girl's cheeks. Her lips part slightly in wanting. Those big grey eyes staring right back into hers, needing. She watched the girls eyes clench shut as she drove her head into the Princess's neck. Azula felt warm wetness all around her two fingers.

"HAAAHHh Ah-UnnNGHh"

She muffled the noise as best she could against the Princess, but the sensation was overwhelming. It split her in two as Azula had entered. Then as she had driven her fingers deep and against her inner walls, if felt so _so_ good.

Ty Lee's hot breath was against her neck and her scream was right in her ear. In combination with feeling her fingers _inside_ of Ty Lee, the reaction was enough to make her eyes roll backwards. Azula stroked her fingers everywhere inside of Ty Lee. She loved the feeling of her slick velvet walls against her fingers and the groans each caress elicited. _Agni, Oh Agni , this feels soo good._

She couldn't even stop herself as she moaned digging her fingers up hitting a spot in Ty Lee that made her groan.

"Mnngg…Oh…OH Zula!"

At the moment Ty Lee spoke her name, Azula felt a tight clench in her chest, like everything was impounding towards that spot. She bucked her hand into Ty Lee earning another gasp.

"Ty.." She hissed. Everything she knew in that moment was Ty Lee and she needed more of the girl.

Azula dropped her hips against Ty Lee's, pushing her hand deeper. She began to thrust. Hard.

Ty Lee moaned against her neck, slipping her lips against the skin that had grown slick in effort. She found the taste salty and addicting, the taste of her princess. She lapped at her, licked, and sucked before all she could do was pant in time with Azula's thrusts.

"Ahh-Hah- Hahh- Ahh, Mnnnn…fu-uckk"

Ty Lee would have normally been surprised with her own language, but at this point anything could come out of her mouth. Something had been building inside of her since the day in the palace garden and that something was about to explode.

She clenched and squeezed every muscle she had. Ty Lee strained against herself, against Azula, trying to get more, just a little more. She was so close now.

Azula felt Ty Lee struggling beneath her. It wasn't the same as before, she wasn't struggling to get free. She wanted it, oh how Azula knew Ty Lee wanted it. It drove her insane, this feeling, the one that held Azula so tightly now, it was intoxicating. Ty Lee was in rapture, needing everything Azula could give her and more. Straining so evidently, so desperately.

Azula pulled away to see the acrobat. She was out of control, bucking wildly. She was trying to get something. Azula moved her thumb, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to her, over Ty Lee's nub and pressed down hard.

Ty Lee's face contorted: head thrown back, eyes clenched, and mouth open in a soundless scream; ecstasy, complete, total, and utter ecstasy. Azula swore she saw tears in the corner's of Ty Lee's eyes as she pressed against her hands and feet, arching her entire body in the air. Ty Lee's muscles clenched around Azula's fingers as the princess continued to pull them in and out mercilessly.

Then Ty Lee crashed back down. Azula could feel the acrobat's walls spasm as her fingers slipped from Ty Lee. If it were possible, her fingers felt wetter than before. She trailed her eyes across Ty Lee's withering form. Her face was relaxed, except for a slight pinch in her forehead. She fought to catch her breathing as her chest rose and feel deeply. Her stomach quivered, still feeling the slowly ebbing pulses that rippled through her. Her sex glistened in the candle light, a small pool of liquid forming from her opening.

Azula remained over her conquered prize. Truly no one had ever seen Ty Lee disheveled in this manner. Azula thought she'd never seen the girl as more beautiful. She paused for a moment and realized the tight feeling in her chest was gone and replaced by a flowing contentment. Bringing her sight back to Ty Lee's face, she realized the girl had passed out.

She picked herself up and glanced at the girl again. The acrobat lay sprawled out, her hair messy and slick with sweat. Her bindings lay open, the sheet only covering below her knees. And she was smiling.

Azula allowed herself a smile. Things were the way they should be. The Princess righted herself before snuffing the candle with a wave of her hand. She strode out of the tent without a second look.

The night was quiet again, but two eyes glinted like daggers in the darkness. A certain assassin, who was anything but a heavy sleeper, tried to comprehend what just transpired. _Well, at least things won't be boring…_


	6. Chapter 6

Things were a little different in the Fire Nation Trio's camp the next morning. Azula snapped out of her mood of constant scheming, Ty Lee looked as if she finally remembered how to breathe, and Mai, well Mai looked unusually entertained by _something_.

Azula had not gained her well-known reputation for nothing. She was insanely brilliant. Although some believed she was socially awkward, it was true when she said she was a people person. She had a knack for reading people, even hardened, emotionless assassins. It took a mere few minutes upon waking that morning to discover her rendezvous with Ty Lee hadn't been so private.

She could have guessed easily really. Despite her scolding's Ty Lee hadn't been particularly _quiet_. Not that it really mattered. Mai's hearing was as keen as Azula's; any disturbance other than slow even breathing would have alerted the assassin to activity in the night, even if she had been sleeping.

It was skills like these that Azula actually admired in her comrades. It was a rare thing, but she could actually depend on them when she needed to.

Ty Lee was extremely agile and maintained great control of her body, despite the flips and turns she pulled. Her style of combat relied on smooth, quick movements. While fighting, she often looked as if she was dancing, though her partners never lasted very long. Azula often marveled at her grace. The girl moved in response to her opponents and flowed in battle well. Occasionally, she even felt impressed with the girls prowess and control over her own body. _Which only made it more fun to watch her lose control of it_, Azula thought wryly to herself.

Mai on the other hand, was smart, accurate, and deadly, very little fazed her on and off the battle field. She was a very formidable ally because of her stern exterior. As much as the Princess valued the physical skills of the assassin, she secretly appreciated her personality as well.

Mai's demeanor held great contrast to Ty Lee's perky and bubbly behavior and Azula found herself often grateful for it. Admittedly, Azula sometimes enjoyed Ty Lee's cheerfulness. She was childlike and happy and allowed for Azula to soften her steely edge. Rarely she indulged herself in such weaknesses because it was occasionally comforting, but more often she relied on Mai to absorb the grunt of her abuse with her emotionless abyss.

Azula knew the girl well enough to know that Mai actually didn't care about most of Azula's behaviors. Mai had a more realistic sense of the world that had allowed the two a certain sort of understanding. Mai held no illusions about the Princess's childhood. Unlike Ty Lee, Mai knew the life of the princess wasn't just about luxury and pretty things. She didn't so much excuse the actions of her leader, but she didn't really blame the girl for everything either. She understood the feelings of getting whatever she wanted, as long as her family wanted the same thing. It was stupid and it was frustrating to be under such control. So Mai let Azula do as she pleased, because for the most part being with Azula let her do the same.

In addition a sort of bond the two shared, they also crossed each other often. The power balance between them was a given. Azula would always outrank the assassin. However the two practically enjoyed taking open jabs at each other in the form insult and slight manipulation. Azula mostly participated because it was just her personality. Mai was special though. Azula savored Mai's shield of indifference and substantial tolerance for her slander slander. It meant the Princess push the ante when it came to their little games.

The abuse was mutual though. Mai relished the chance to challenge Azula's authority. It was both exhilarating and liberating. If there was one thing that Azula knew about Mai, the girl lived for thrills. It wasn't obvious by looking at her dull demeanor and it wasn't even easy to spot when the girl was in action. However Azula knew something, even if it was small, came alive in Mai when she was around Azula. Often enough it was anger. The Princess usually found a way to infuriate the girl and though it was frustrating, it roused the girl in a scarce way. It made her feel when she usually did not.

On top of that, Mai found Azula to be challenge. The Princess herself was exciting. She, like so few people, was unpredictable. She often kept Mai on her toes and forced her to the Princess's level. Their battles of skill, words, and wills was always something to be admired.

Much like their dynamic, Azula usually claimed victory in their 'matches', mostly because she simply decided that she won or denied that she lost. It was rare when Mai could hold something absolute over the Princess, and this might just be her chance.

Mai _almost _smirked to herself. She was no fool either. Azula could probably discern that Mai had discovered the other two's activities, but there was no way Azula could deny that she actually had feelings for the perky acrobat. Oh yes. Fearless, merciless, and cold Azula actually had a pink fuzzy _girl_ in her heart. Indeed, things weren't boring anymore.

Azula marked the curl of the Assassin's lips out of the corner of her eye. _She's up to something. _ Azula scowled to herself as she watched Ty Lee practice cartwheels. _Okay, so what. I got involved with Ty Lee. Why should that be so embarrassing, it was a simple act of domination anyway…_ She watched Ty Lee land after her last one, jumping in the air and rolling over three times before hitting the ground in a perfect stick. She raised her hands above her head as if hearing rounds of applause. The acrobat turned to Azula who she had felt watching her with amber eyes from under a shaded tree. She gave her a trademark Ty Lee smile and waved happily.

Azula's eyes widened before she stocked away from the clearing. She had felt a slight blush rising to her cheeks. _Whatever, _she thought bitterly.

She hadn't gotten too far when she sensed another presence behind her.

"What do you want _Mai._" She sneered without turning.

"Your special threatening voice doesn't work on me, Azula." Mai's raspy voice sounded behind her.

"Hnmh" she scoffed half amused and turned towards Mai. _Indeed, simple parlor tricks weren't very effective on the assassin._ "So? What _is _it?"

Mai's eyes narrowed and grinned just slightly. The look was all too knowing.

"Well?" she asked, annoyed as she frowned at an all too smug looking Mai.

"You like her." Mai's voice sounded more lively than usual and it was smug. Azula didn't like it.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She snapped back.

"You _like_ her."

Azula frowned again. Mai was having far too much fun with this. Last night had been her moment of triumph. She would not let her deadpanned comrade find enjoyment in it. But how to turn this around? Flat out denial would only make Mai smugger thinking she was right. Just because she'd slept with Ty Lee, didn't change the fact that she was still Azula. She was still the feared Fire Nation Princess and firebending prodigy. Why the hell was Mai acting like she was wearing _flowers_ in her hair and writing _love _songs. Besides, there was no way she had mushy feelings for that _girl_ anyway. She dominated her in bed, if anything it made her powerful…

Azula paused and then smirked.

_Wait…_Mai stopped grinning. _Now that wasn't supposed to happen._

"Well _Mai_, I wouldn't consider screwing Ty Lee into her sleeping mat the same as liking her, but if that's the way _you_ do things I guess my brother actually got lucky."

Mai sputtered. "_What?_"

"I never guessed Zuzu had it in him to please a girl, but I guess some people can surprise you…"

Azula carried on as if she didn't see the dumbfounded look on her friend's face. _Oh this was too fun._ Of course Zuzu would have never had it in him to do anything with Mai. He was hopeless with those sorts of things back then, and probably still was. _She_, however, wasn't.

Mai didn't like where this was going, at all, just what was she up to now? Azula spoke with her eyes closed and her fingertips rested on her forehead as if she was concluding everything that had happened between her and Zuko. _How did she turn this on me?_

"…So tell me, did he live up to his title?"

"Excuse me?" Mai baffled.

"Did Zuzu perform in bed like royalty?"

"How would I…?" Mai was in such a state of shock she didn't think to anticipate where Azula was going with this.

Before she knew what was happening, the question had already led her to think of how royalty might perform in bed. A clear image of Azula over Ty Lee seared into her mind. Azula watched Mai's face go blank and smirked victoriously.

Mai was watching every move of last night played out in her imagination. Her acute hearing had picked up every heavy breath, sheet ruffle, and moan. _Shit. _ She couldn't make it stop. She was automatically piecing every sound with an image her mind conjured. She vividly imagined Ty Lee's face, wracked with pleasure along with the muffled groans that echoed in her head. She had merely observed it the previous night, but now she had imagined what it might _feel_ like.

Mai's usually pale face grew redder by the second. What's worse she was getting hotter too.

She imagined herself in Ty Lee's place, a wildly seductive Princess leaning over her. The humidity grew between their two bodies as she her mind was slipping fast. She felt Azula's hand doing incredible things, thing's that would have impelled the sounds she'd heard. She was drowning in the pleasure the _Princess_ could produce.

She snapped herself out of it with as much force as she could muster, only to find Azula a few inches from her face.

"Well?" At this proximity, the Princess's eyes appeared golden and held a piercing gaze. That all knowing smirk so evident in her sharp features.

She leaned in closer and spoke in a voice so predatory, Mai uncharacteristically shivered as Azula's breath caressed her ear, "Mai, how does royalty perform."

"I wouldn't know." Mai kept her voice as deadpan as possible, but with her face as red as her face was now she wasn't exactly sure who she was trying to fool. Where in Agni's name was her cool composure now?

"Don't be _silly_ Mai. I'm sure you can _imagine._"

_Oh Agni, she was good. _Mai cursed the Princess that loomed before her. She had fallen right into that one. She knew Azula wouldn't stop there either. She wondered just how far the younger Princess was going to take it.

She didn't have to wonder long.

"How does it _feel?_"

Mai breath caught as Azula's hand closed against her breast. Through her tunic, Mai could feel Azula's sharp nails pressing into her skin as a palm rolled against her nipple.

Mai tried to think of a way out, any way to stop the girl from advancing any further.

"What about Ty Lee?"

Her question was ignored as Azula shoved her back against a nearby tree, increasing the pressure of her hand. A groan escaped Mai's lips. She lost.

"That's what I thought." Mai could hear gloating in Azula's voice.

"It's too bad really," Azula's free hand was traveling downwards, making her intentions clear. "I'm sure Zuzu wanted to be your first."

Mai cringed a little at that. She still cared deeply for the boy, but there wasn't anything she could do. She couldn't deny the growing ache in between her legs. She'd lost and Azula always collected her spoils. Besides, she wanted to know what it really felt like.

"Shut up." She growled.

Azula could only smirk at Mai's sour face. It all looked too precious in contrast with the redness of her cheeks.

"And I don't like you."

"Obviously." She rolled her eyes at the assassin and mocked, "It's called _lust. _Wouldn't little Zuzu just be so shocked to find you've got that for his sister?"

_Azula just loves taking this over the top doesn't she? _ A little part of Mai, one that she would never admit, almost liked the push and pull she had between the royal siblings. It was bad, and certainty not boring.

Mai's left hand traveled behind Azula's head.

"I thought I told you to shut up." She said huskily and pushed Azula's face forward, securing her lips with her own.

Azula smirked against her before nipping possessively at Mai's lower lip. She leaned the assassin further against the tree and Mai unknowingly spread her legs slightly for support. Azula's hand, which had been resting on Mai's lower stomach, dropped to rub against the girl's lower regions. She was pleased to find warmth seeping through the cloth that covered there.

Mai groaned into the kiss and moved her hips into Azula's hand. The princess casually slipped her hand under the waistband of the assassin's long skirt. She pressed against the girl's crotch again, letting Mai methodically grind herself on the Princess's hand.

Mai felt the princess's hand grow warmer sighed against the prodigy. She briefly wondered how she'd thought of such a trick, but was alerted to a ripping sound followed by a breeze around her bottom.

"Whmth mm hemh!" Mai tore herself away from the kiss to assess the damage. Azula had ripped her skirt clean off leaving her half naked, only with her under wrappings protecting her modesty.

"Azula!"

"What?" The princess responded nonchalantly, "I never understood why you wore that skirt anyway…" She trailed off as she began burning away the girl's underwrappings.

Mai was going to complain, but she only groaned as she felt Azula's warm fingers play with her folds. They were slick, just as the Princess had wanted them.

Azula lazily let her fingers slide around as she watched the Assassin's reactions. It was a treat to see anything on the girl's face. She decided pleasure was a good look for her. It didn't look too different. Her face was still relaxed, but her eyes were closed and there was a wanting in her subtle expression.

The assassin was not accustomed to being touched. She usually kept her distance from other people. Only Ty Lee really ever embraced her. She definitely was never touched like this by anyone other than herself. It made her very sensitive.

Azula watched closely as she ran her pointer over Mai's nub. She flinched visibly. Her mouth dropped open.

"Ahhhh.."

Azula continued to explore the facial expressions she drew out of the normally stoic assassin. She found herself very enthralled so she frowned when Mai opened her eyes and locked them with her own.

"Get _on_ with it already."

Mai's voice was normally dry and raspy, but it was subtly urgent and very husky now. It made Azula quiver, just a little.

Slowly and deliberately, Azula slid a single digit deep inside of Mai. She let the warmth slowly envelop her finger as Mai sighed in delight. She smirked as she drew her finger upwards in a beckoning motion, dragging her finger against Mai's sensitive walls.

"Unnnngg.." _Well, she'd never thought of doing __that__ before._

Mai felt good. She felt very good. There was pleasure pulsing at her core and she knew it wouldn't take very long. Not with the way Azula was moving her fingers. Mai herself hadn't even known about all the places Azula had touched. She was breathing heavily as the prodigy was quickly bringing her to her peak.

Although Mai had imagined what Zuko might be like. It wasn't this. He had been sweet and awkward. There was no denying that the Princess of the Fire Nation could do things that the Prince, well, couldn't. She was clever and assured, moving deftly and expertly. She didn't bother to think what she did wasn't right, like everything else, Azula already _knew_.

Azula was going fast now, and Mai let out a short ragged breath with every plunge. She knew it would only take a bit more for her to lose it.

Azula pushed the girl's torso firm against the tree to steady her. She warmed her hand again and pressed her thumb against Mai's nub and rubbed in a circular motion.

"AH! M-mnnaaaaaaaaaaahhh!"

Mai let out a sustained moan as pleasure overwhelmed her. She saw white for what felt like minutes as her whole body reverberated with warmth and climax. She felt herself start to breathe again as she regained her senses. There was tingling at her fingertips and toes and a deep pleasing pulse at her core.

It took a second for her to realize that she had slid down the tree and now lay in a slump on the ground. As the feelings ebbed away and Mai regained control of herself, she gazed up at Azula who was straightening her clothes. She, too, looked pleased with herself.

Mai frowned at her.

"You still like her." She stated.

Mai's voice had regained its cold composure. It's sound made Azula look back down at her.

She smirked and placed a hand on her hip. She cocked her head at the heap on the ground.

"So?" she turned and walked back towards the campsite.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey all. I wanted to say thanks to those who have reviewed multiple chapters. Knowing people come back and continue reading actually made me blow off other things to write this chapter. I enjoy knowing how you think the story is progressing and I'm so happy to hear compliments on character accuracy! That's something I really try for, I'm not a fan of changing characters, the reason I write about them is because I liked their original personalities so much in the first place! Especially Azula. I loveee Azula. Naturally hearing that I am portraying her well (hopefully with this chapter as well!) honors me in a way. Hah! I hope I can continue to meet expectations. **

**So without further adieu, the seventh installment. **

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Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee watched the great wall of Ba Sing Sei grow before them as the drill neared the city. The three sat on a makeshift throne with Azula in the largest center chair, Mai to her right and Ty Lee to her left. The Princess sat regally, overseeing the operations in the control room of the drill. Both hands sat on armrests and her legs crossed in a ladylike manner.

As it was, Princess Azula had been invited to witness General Sho breach the wall with the Fire Nation's new drill. It had been an interesting approach, no doubt invented by those zealous scientists and all their great war machines. Although the Princess had a soft spot for her naval war ship, she didn't care much for weapons over the power of her own fists. She supposed there were those who needed them to overcompensate for their lack of ability, but to a prodigy like herself they just got in the way.

Azula wanted to yawn as the general spouted off about his great and oh so invincible his drill. _It won't work you know. _ She burned to taunt at him. _It was…a colorful idea at best, but completely unpractical. Even if he did manage to breach the wall, the gap would be too small for a full infiltration. _

She was smart enough to know that a city like Ba Sing Sei needed more than a few dozen tanks to be brought to its knees. _Oh well, it won't be long anyway…_she thought as her mind wondered to the ways she could possibly conquer it later.

She hadn't managed to fully sketch out an actualized plan though. She kept getting…distracted.

It wasn't her fault. There were other important things that kept popping up, things that needed to be dealt with immediately.

Azula turned her attention to her fingernails, examining them under intense scrutiny as she drowned out the general. _Yes, there had been other more pressing matters, like the time I found Ty Lee sopping wet after their skirmish with the Avatar's friends. Mai had stocked off immediately, cursing that overgrown fur ball, but Ty Lee just sat with her legs bent under her staring up at me with that pretty little blush on her face. Well she had looked just so pitiful in her wet outfit…clinging to her every curve…water dripping down her skin…obviously I had to get her out of it immediately. Some things couldn't wait. After all she could have caught a cold, I needed to warm her up… and I did, quite well if I do say so myself. _Azula smirked to herself. _ Ty Lee didn't complain._

_Then there was the time I was looking over the plans for the drill that were just soo important. Father sent them himself. That stupid hawk landing just as I had Ty Lee's hands pinned at her side. For her credit the Ty is somewhat…slippery, always insisting on touching me. It's flattering and all I suppose, but she should know how this works by now. _

_I looked over the plans at my work bench. They were quite crude, but creative in their intent. And there was Ty Lee, still on the mats just being so patient… Well, there is something to be said about building one's loyalties…Keep youe people happy…well Ty Lee was certainty happy after that, passed out with that same sweet…well, stupidly happy smile._

Azula almost snickered to herself as she turned her focus to her other hand. She had indeed, been busy.

She sighed aloud as the general finished his long winded speech and made a show about yawning at the end, to which Ty Lee giggled. She may have even caught a glimpse of a smirk from her stoic assassin.

"That's very nice General." She patronized him, carelessly looking at her surroundings. She'd vaguely heard him say something about the Earth Kingdom defenses and how they wouldn't be a problem. She glanced at the assassin who was spinning her knives around, clearly bored. _Well, it couldn't hurt to let them have a little fun._

"Even though I'm _confident_ those earthbenders aren't a threat…Mai, Ty Lee take care of them!" she commanded, paying close attention to Mai's reaction.

The girl's eyes flashed discreetly. She caught the knife she was spinning and rose quickly.

"Finally." She turned just slightly to Azula as if to thank her before Ty Lee bounded in front of her and out the door. The assassin followed swiftly after her.

She smiled proudly, sitting back in her throne to enjoy the show. Several crew members jumped at the sight of her comrades swooping down in front of the drill. They watched in awe as the acrobat and the assassin swiftly took out several troops of earthbenders. Azula looked smug.

Throwing knives and stilettos rained down on several earthbenders who had tried to block their landing. An approaching battalion prepared to meet the assassin as she landed amongst the fallen soldiers, only to see a pink blur above their heads. Timing their distraction deftly, Mai launched her weapons knives at the front half while Ty Lee cascaded blows on the back. Their movements were incredibly quick and for most crew members, they only saw one green uniform fall after another. _And they thought those war machines were soo...what was the word, impressive? Destructive? _

"Heh." The Princess smirked to herself. No typical military unit or machine alike could match her elite force.

She thought of the past few weeks with the two girls as she watched from above. Mai stood with her arms crossed, looking for signs of movement across the terrain. Ty Lee had just finished sticking her tongue out at a fallen soldier and smiled, waving up at her. Azula couldn't help but smirk warmly at the sight; it was just _so_ Mai and Ty Lee.

Not much had changed since her more _scandalous_ activities with either girl, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was different. Yes, she did take more liberty with the two. She took advantage of Ty Lee's more _compromising_ situations and enjoyed taunting Mai mercilessly after words. She specifically enjoyed the times she knew Mai was close enough to sense what was going on, and embarrassing the girl for what Azula called 'peeping'. She even indulged in openly baiting and flirting with both girls, albeit those instances were merely for entertainment and ended with the Princess's smirk, Ty Lee's flush, and Mai's annoyance. But that wasn't quite it.

There was a more significant transformation within the group. Azula felt _comfortable_ with them. The general hierarchy of command was still painfully evident. The prodigy was still in every way their Princess, if not in some ways more than before. Rather it was the the overbearing strain of obedience that had nearly vanished. Instead, Azula began to realize that the two weren't really listening to her because she wore the Fire Nation crown. They responded to her…just because.

The firebender had begun to notice she altered the tone of her command when it came to the two soldiers. The words themselves were the same, but the way she addressed Mai and Ty Lee lacked formality. Instead of giving orders as if by a distant military commander, the instructions now seemed to be given from a peer leader.

She reasoned that the callous barriers she carried with her title didn't seem as relevant. They listened to her either way. The other reason, which the Princess didn't readily admit, was that despite herself she actually began to enjoy the even plane she felt with them. For once she could share a commonality between her soldiers, rather than a chain of command. Though the Princess divulged herself in control, she found herself warming up to this new comradery.

Since she'd reached the cognitive ability to understand the meaning of being a Princess, she realized people listened to her simply because they _had _to. Azula always found those who served her to be rather spineless. Naturally she enjoyed when they groveled and quivered before her, it wasn't as if they were much use to her otherwise.

They responded to fear and force and she wouldn't have it any other way. They were pawns and minions, to control them through any other manner meant more interaction than necessary. After all, Princesses shouldn't spend more time with commoners than need be. She liked the power and the thrills it gave her, but also reinforced a subtle knowledge that whilst sitting atop her mighty throne, she was alone.

She really didn't care all that much. It was the price of royalty and there was a reason the pyramid narrowed at the top. Besides, she never wished to stoop to a lower level in order to obtain superficial friends. She wasn't an average teenager. She didn't care to have average friends.

However, there had always been the exception of Mai and Ty Lee. They were the closest Azula ever was to friendship. They had always been her playmates, her assistant's in mischievous dealings back in their younger days. She just got along with both of them. She used to wonder why she tolerated them so much, but it was becoming more obvious these days.

She just _liked_ them. It was as simple as that. Mai could very well be the closest Azula ever had to an equal in terms of wit. What could she say, Azula just liked the way Mai's mind worked; at an admirable level, but in a different fashion from her own.

Ty Lee, on the other hand, actually made her…well happy. Her simple nature allowed the Princess a rare opportunity to relax. Ty Lee acted the same either way and respected her to no ends. She was somewhat of a contradiction as well. Sure the girl was childish in some aspects, but Azula richly enjoyed the well hidden sass of the acrobat. Despite her passive attitude, the girl had a way of getting what she wanted. It seemed the girl was cleverer than she let on. Azula began to wonder if Ty Lee hadn't orchestrated many of her more 'compromising' situations on purpose.

Azula could feel herself grinning at the thought of the two girls. Both of them had a fiery attitude that simply made them people Azula couldn't ignore. Lately the Princess had been able to see them on a level closer to her own. They were no longer just minions; she didn't want them to be. She wanted them to be great because she saw so many attributes she treasured in them. They were different.

Azula slightly furrowed her eyebrows in thought. She was close to actually naming the change within her group. She closed her eyes as she added the facts in her mind.

They were the girls she wanted to fight the Avatar with. They were the ones she wanted to travel with. She wanted to spend her time with them; she wanted them by her side. She found herself wanting to like them, and she found herself doing just that.

That last thought was just crossing her mind as she opened her eyes. She watched her two friends walked through the door of the command room.

Mai and Ty Lee saw Azula's eyes grow wide for just a second. _My friends? Yes, that's exactly what they are. _

Azula wore a slight smile directed at the two. She didn't exactly know why she was smiling; it just sort of pulled at her lips along with a content feeling in her chest. She was almost surprised when Mai returned it with a cool smile of her own. Not so much though when Ty Lee's face lit up with one of hers.

None of the three girls could explain in words why they were smiling. Two of them would never admit it if they could. The last would just smile wider and say it had something to do with friendship.

* * *

"You're leaving already?" Sokka exclaimed at the girl in green armor.

"Yeah Sokka, I just wanted to make sure you all got it across serpents pass alright."

Sokka gawked at Suki as if she said Momo was the Avatar.

"You came to make sure WE were safe? I was trying to make sure YOU were safe!"

Suki could hear a slight line of humor and plain disbelief in the boy's voice. She wanted to frown. She liked Sokka; he was funny and made her laugh. He was nice and caring. It also didn't hurt that she could tell he was pretty cute for a boy. She knew he had a good heart, really he did, but it was frustrating to her that no matter what she did he always assumed he had to protect her. She honestly found herself a little insulted by it.

She sighed, "Sokka, I'm a warrior too you know. It's thoughtful that you want to protect me, but I can take care of myself!"

"Suki, I know you're a warrior, but it's just common sense! The men always protect the women! There's a reason for that."

Katara and Toph could hear Sokka fussing about Suki. They both rolled their eyes at the boy.

Katara had just about had it with the whole 'boys are strong and girls are not' idea. It was painfully enforced in the water tribes. She thought she put a rest to it in the North Pole with Master Pakku, but here was her own brother reinforcing old stereotypes, and to a Kyoshi Warrior no less. One who even beat him at his own game so to speak.

Toph was also irritated with the boy, but for several different reasons. She had saved him _and_ Suki on multiple occasions. Not only had he not thanked her for doing so, he was implying that girls needed protection from guys like him? Okay, so she had a little scare when she was in the water. It wasn't her fault she couldn't swim. She was blind for spirit's sakes! And that was another thing. She was blind and still looked after herself just fine.

Besides, he hadn't even been the one to save her. Suki had reached her before Sokka even jumped into the water. He hadn't even come to save her.

She kicked a rock that was lying on the ground at that. _I even let myself think that was Sokka. He couldn't even take his thoughts of fan girl over there long enough to save me_…_She had to do it…_ Toph had to turn away to hid a blush at that; an image of kissing Suki replayed in her mind. She hated to admit it, but that had been embarrassing.

It had been a little interesting too. Stranded in the water hadn't left her any ground to stand on so she'd clung on to the only solid thing available: Suki. The girl's heart beat was faster than she would have expected. The girl may have been swimming, but it shouldn't have stressed her well trained body enough to change her heart rate.

Toph idly let herself study the vibrations coming from Suki's body. She almost felt her ears flush. The earthbender realized she was studying the girl a little _too_ closely. Her 'vision' _could_ account for clothing, but in this case she'd focused a bit too much and saw _just_ Suki's body. She'd subconsciously been thinking of it and now she couldn't get the image out of her head.

Despite her training, Suki had a feminine body. She had slight curves in all the right places that were usually disguised by her armor. Curves Toph had seen right under said armor. Toph, however, found herself more inclined to the other features no one else could see, the toned muscles of her arms and legs. She didn't really know why, but she found Suki's arms particularly impressive. They were lean, but strong. She'd had firsthand experience of that when Suki held her in the water.

Toph shook her head vigorously. _What the hell!_ _She grabbed me in the water, she didn't HOLD me or anything like that…_

_Then there was that perfectly flat stomach and those lines leading diagonally right to...wait a minute…URG! _

Toph shook her head more violently this time. She _really_ needed to stop thinking. Now.

Katara eyed the girl to her left strangely.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing!" the blind girl huffed. _She had NOT just been thinking about a certain Kyoshi Warrior naked or anything._ _She wasn't that special anyway…_

She could feel Katara continue to scrutinize her. Toph grumbled internally, turning her attention back to Sokka. He was rubbing his butt for some reason complaining that a rock had hit him out of nowhere. _Oops…_

Suki sighed at the boy. He was so dumb sometimes. Still, she did really want to like him. She crossed her arms and looked around at the others. Katara had been pulled aside by Aang and were now talked a little ways away. Suki smiled meekly at the two. She knew Aang really liked Katara, it was cute. They made a good couple, even if Katara acted like a mother to him sometimes. She just took care of him.

Why couldn't Sokka understand something like that? Albeit she wasn't the motherly type, but she wanted to look after him the best way she knew how. She was a warrior so protecting him from danger just seemed fitting.

She sighed to herself softly and turned to the new parents. That could be her and Sokka someday, couldn't it? They liked each other, that much had already been established. They got along well and all that, so maybe someday? That's what normal people did right? She sighed again, if only she was normal.

Suki turned her gaze to Toph who just stood alone under a tree. The blind girl was facing her with a blank expression on her face. Suki hesitated a little before remembering that Toph couldn't see her. She studied the younger girl's features. The earthbender's body structure was built for fighting. She hadn't really grown into her full body yet, but Suki guessed Toph would keep a slightly boyish figure even in womanhood. She would fill out a little, but maintain a strong, lean, and fit structure.

As Suki's mind wandered about Toph, she started wondering more about the young girl. She didn't talk all that much, not to her at least. Suki guessed it had to do with her involvement with Sokka. She felt a little sad at this, Toph seemed pretty cool.

She was hard headed and funny like Sokka, except her jokes were often sarcastic or just plain better than the Water Tribe boy's. They had more wit to them anyway. Then she was an amazing earthbender. Though she gathered Toph was a little cocky about it, Suki reasoned that she had reason to be. The young bender was only fourteen and had disposed of men twice her age with ease. The bender's intuition and ability to _see_ what others couldn't only added to her skill.

She admittedly wanted to know what it would be like to go up against Toph. She would be a much bigger challenge than Sokka that much was for sure. She wanted to see the girl up close and in action, to see the way her body moved so decisively and the intense focus she wore. Truthfully it was sort of intoxicating. It was a true show of power from such an unlikely source. Suki liked the contradiction.

A cute girl moving the way she did, that small body being as strong as it was, and a young girl being as skilled as she was? There was so much to be impressed by, so much to like, so many reasons to blush when the girl had kissed her instead of her boyfriend. Hell, who wouldn't blush when someone amazing kissed them?

Suki could feel her mind going somewhere she knew it shouldn't, somewhere she had tried to stop it from going before; a place that was getting harder to deny as she got older.

Suki was so wrapped up in her thoughts she'd forgotten how long she'd been staring at Toph. The girl cocked her head at Suki; the movement caused her to flinch visibly.

_There it is again…_Toph thought to herself as she observed the Kyoshi Warrior. _That heart beat… it's different…_ The beat was stronger than usual and it felt fuller. The way it accelerated was different too. In normal situations when the heart sped up, it was a quick change. Suki's on the other hand, seemed to pulse lightly and speed up like it was accelerating from a full stop, gaining momentum as it went.

Usually when that happened…

"TOPH, SUKI, SOKKA! WE HAVE TO GO QUICK!"

Toph snapped out of her thoughts to address the screaming airbender. He was hoping around and pointing around a rock wall at something. Suki felt a wave of relief wash over her as Aang ran towards the rest of the group.

"Chill out Twinkle Toes, what's going on!"

"The Fire Nation is trying to break into Ba Sing Sei!"

"How the hell are they going to manage that? If you haven't noticed there's a gigantic wall surrounding the entire city." Toph threw her arms in the air to emphasize her point.

"They are using a huge drill!"

The rest of the gang snapped towards Aang, eyes wide. This couldn't be good. Ba Sing Sei was the last Earth Kingdom city left! They had to stop them.

Aang flew Katara, Suki, Toph, and Sokka to the wall of Ba Sing Sei to get a better look at the monstrosity. They arrived just in time to see wounded soldiers being brought to the wall.

"How did all of you manage to be taken out? What happened?" Katara asked as she rushed over to the make shift medical station.

"There were…Two girls…they, they came out of the drill and attacked us." The earthbending soldier strained, it looked like he was having a hard time breathing.

Katara had already begun to help heal him with her waterbending when she grimaced. She felt chi blocked in certain places all over his body. That and the small scrapes and stab wounds cleared up any questions she had about the identity of his attackers. It was Ty Lee and that other gloomy girl from Omashu.

Katara gulped involuntarily. If those two were here, there was no doubt _she _was too.

She'd learned to be wary of the Firebending prodigy after facing her in the woods, but their second meeting had bothered her more. She had chased after Aang to the deserted Earth Kingdom village after fighting Mai and Ty Lee. Luckily she had arrived before the two had really gotten into it, but something weird happened when she saw the the Princess.

Katara had never really gotten the chance to watch the prodigy fight before. She was incredible. Katara watched the firebender in awe. She commanded her blue flames with grace and ease. To the Princess, bending her element was a well practiced art and she looked very much like royalty while doing so. She always held her posture and never once looked fatigued. The waterbender had to wonder how that slick black hair never fell out of place either, or how the royal's armor and golden hairpin always looked shiny for that matter.

Katara didn't know how long she'd been standing in the ally watching Aang and Azula when all of a sudden Prince Zuko appeared. The fight grew complicated after that, but Katara couldn't really tell by watching Azula. She fought off Aang and Zuko at once, dealing and blocking blows from both sides at once. She hadn't even seemed fazed by his appearance, instead she looked excited. Her movements remained fluid and easy. She was always in control.

Without even realizing it, Katara began to compare Zuko and Aang to Azula. There was a huge contrast between Azula and her brother. Her brother's flames were wild and furious while hers were collected and deadly. Despite their significantly greater heat to Zuko's orange rage, they made Katara shiver. Their blue was stunningly beautiful and reminded her of her own element. She wondered how such a thing also held deadly and consuming power.

The differences between Azula and Aang staggered greatly as well. Though Aang was a skilled bender, he seemed naïve in comparison to the Princess. It was apparent not only in his bending, but in the presence he held as well. He wasn't sure of himself like she was. Her expression nearly laughed at him. She led him this way and that with his flames, dancing them around him as if he were a toy. Whether or not it was, the fight looked too easy for her.

The whole time she stood there, it hadn't even occurred to Katara that she'd only stood there watching. It didn't occur to her to anything about it. To her it felt as if she was watching a movie starring Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation. There was something about her confidence and raw power that captivated her. It had taken all of Aang getting trapped and nearly getting killed for her to snap out of it.

When she had and eventually faced the firebender herself, the Princess looked at her oddly. It seemed like the Princess was examining her or something. Her smirking expression unnerved her, it wasn't the same victorious one she gave Aang or Zuko. She had found herself wondering what the Princess saw. Later she just felt violated.

There was one thing Katara knew about Azula. She _hated _her.

After the fight had ended, Katara never spoke a word about how Azula had made her freeze up. It didn't matter anyway as the waterbender told herself often. She had only been overcome with a paralyzing hate for the girl, something that would never happen again.

This is what she told herself as she marched back to the rest of the group. They were discussing plans to take down the drill with a terrified looking general.

"Azula and her sidekicks are here." She announced, breaking into the conversation.

Sokka perked up a bit when Katara mentioned the sidekicks. The one named Ty Lee always flirted with him. Suki noticed and looked away from her boyfriend begrudgingly. He was really too full of himself sometimes.

Toph grinned to herself as well. She'd also seen the firebender at the old Earth Kingdom town, but hadn't really had a chance to fight against her. She was looking forward to another chance.

Suki, who had still not faced off against any of the three, only knew them by name and stories. She knew all three were not to be underestimated. Something her boyfriend did often.

Aang just gulped to himself. There was no lying about it. Azula scared him.

"Well, we are just going to have to face them." Aang said bravely while tightening the grip on his glider. "We can't let that drill breach the wall!"

"He's right. We need to get inside that thing and take it apart from the inside out!"

"Okay, well how do you imagine we do that, Sokka?" Katara glared at her brother. The idea guy never managed to come up with more than half of a plan.

"Leave that to me." Toph exclaimed, bringing her pointed thumb to her chest. "I'll get you guys under the drill undetected. You can get the rest from there."

Suki smiled lightly at the earthbender's confidence. "You aren't going inside?" she asked, slightly disappointed she might not get to see the girl fight.

Toph frowned. She took the comment to mean that she wasn't pulling her fair share. She got more than enough of that from Katara. She turned and threw a pointed finger at the Kyoshi Warrior. "Look here fan lady! I'm getting you to the drill, I'd like to see you do that! Besides, I won't be able to see a thing in there. I'm going to stay outside and hold it back!"

Toph didn't notice the slightly hurt look on Suki's features. In fact it went unnoticed by everyone except Katara who offered a silent apology for the earthbender's outburst. Suki nodded slightly and returned her attention to the discussion.

"…Then when we get a blueprint of the drill we can figure out how to take it down!"

"That sounds great Sokka!"

"I know! Alright Team Avatar go!" Sokka cried, posing in a lunge with one hand on his hip and the other pointed forward.

"Uh…Sokka? What are you doing?" Toph responded after a few seconds had passed by. No one had moved and just stood there staring at him for a while.

"The battle cry!" he whined.

"Nice try bro." Katara said, patting him on his shoulder as she and the rest of the gang walked towards the edge of the wall.

Sokka instantly deflated, wilting to the ground. Toph flanked back and yanked him by the collar, dragging him to everyone else.

* * *

Azula was getting restless. The drill moved far too slow for her liking and she found the entire ordeal to be a bore from the start. She continued to tap her fingers on her neatly crossed legs as they literally inched towards the great wall. She was just about to let out another soundly sigh to alert the general of her annoyance when an idea flashed in her mind. One that was much more satisfying then watching general Sho sweat and tremble with fear. Watching _Ty Lee_ in that state would be _so_ much better.

"_Ty Lee._" The Princess called, accentuating the 'y' and 'e' sounds in her name.

The young acrobat perked up from her slouched position, literally flipping herself into a crouched position in her seat. "Yes Princess?"

Azula eyed the girl up and down before speaking again. _Such an eager girl_, she thought not caring to hide her smirk. _Well, why not evoke the reaction in both_ Azula mused, her smirk darkening

"I'm growing tired of this _overwhelming _suspense. It's just killing me." She played with her sarcastic words, noting how the general stiffened. . "Really, it's too exciting."

"Oh?" Ty Lee replied with a light giggle, fully aware of the Princess's intentions to alarm the general as well as the more erotic one that was sure to come. "Anything I can do to help, Zula?"

The acrobat noticed Azula's eyes flicker dangerously at the use of her nickname in front of military personal. She simply beamed back at the Princess and received a knowing smirk in return.

Lately Ty Lee had been getting away with more stunts like that. They were subtle, but well placed. Being the master strategist that she was, Azula picked up on Ty Lee's methods. She was pushing it now, but Azula thought it was more interesting than disobedient or harmful. Despite that, Azula knew full well that Mai probably caught on as well, and she could not allow herself to be outdone in a game of suggestion, certainty not by Ty Lee.

It was a game now. She held her hand in a gesture for Ty Lee. The acrobat's eyes fell to Azula's perfectly manicured hand before accepting it lightly with her own delicate one. Her eyes met the Princess's as Azula lifted the girl easily, drawing the acrobat into her lap.

As she moved Ty Lee started to lose herself in Azula's eyes. The gaze they held called to her, coaxing her into a sense of complete disarmament, just as they did every time.

She dropped Ty Lee's hand for a more pleasing place on the girl's hip, pulling her closer. The girly sweet scent of Ty Lee hit her senses instantly, sending tingling sensations down her spine. She wrapped her arm more securely about her acrobat, feeling Ty Lee curl just slightly into her.

Ty Lee released a small squeak when she felt her side press into her Princess's front. The Princess's intentions were nothing new to her, but this level of proximity and affection was. As close as she was, Ty Lee could feel herself swallowed by the prodigy's intense aura, which was gleaming red.

Azula merely smirked at her own actions. She reveled in the feel of a delicate girl against her body. Lust was churning within the Princess as she thought of the perfect bottom resting so brazenly on her lap, the dip of a slender waist just above her hand, or the swell of the girl's breasts perched below her line of sight. She adored the budding blush on Ty Lee's cheeks. Her shyness in seduction was such a pleasing expression.

Intoxicating as the situation was, it didn't stop Azula from casually shooting a blast of fire at the feet of the gawking general. He shrieked dishonorably and scuttled away to the bow of the cockpit. She hadn't needed to tear her gaze away from her favorite grey orbs to know lecherous eyes were upon them. The sight of pretty Ty Lee sitting suggestively in the lap of the flawless beauty Azula was as irresistible as they came.

She didn't mind the looks of envy. She was proud a desirable girl such as Ty Lee, fell into such disarray in her presence. In fact, she rather enjoyed this public display as long as the gazes upon them didn't turn perverted or greedy. She would not tolerate any fool who pretended he held claim over her property. The Princess flaunted the smitten beauty in her lap as hers and hers alone. At this thought the Princess allowed her eyes to roam the acrobat's growing curves.

Ty Lee completely ignored the Princess's outburst of flame. Her eyes silently praised the Princess as she draped an arm around her neck. She didn't exactly mind the way she was presented, Ty Lee thought carefully, resting her hand gracefully on the prodigy's shoulder. She held no qualms about being known as the Princess of Fire's girl and it was more than a matter of individuality. She _loved_ the arms of her Princess and what they could do to her.

As if reading the acrobat's mind, Azula dropped her hand slightly caressing one of her favorite features.

"Mmm…" Ty Lee purred softly in Azula's ear. She leaned in closer at contact, nuzzling her head into Azula's neck. The Princess responded to the welcoming sound with a tight squeeze, smiling at the hitch of the girl's breathing.

"We are taking a break to explore the ship." Azula announced chiefly, patting Ty Lee's rear.

Mai cracked a devious smile in the shadow that covered her face. She had witnessed the entire scene quietly, pretending to be bored as usual. Only Azula could practically molest Ty Lee and appear strictly professional at the same time. Hell, the general was _saluting _her as she licked the back of Ty Lee's ear. The assassin chuckled to herself at that.

As much as the Princess abused her power, Mai couldn't see terrible harm in it. It was endlessly amusing. If she could maintain flawless order in the midst of her antics, she had to commend the Princess; her powers of persuasion and intimidation were truly formidable. Fortunately for her, being close to the Princess protected her from widely public humiliation. Though she burned inside to know Azula had plenty of fun with her in their own time.

"Care to join us Mai?"

The cocky drawl of the princess alerted the assassin from her thoughts. She looked up from her knife to see Azula smirking down at her. The prodigy stood effortlessly as she mocked Mai, Ty Lee thrown over her shoulder so that her butt faced forward.

She frowned at the Princess. The statement was clearly used to get a ride out of the girl and she knew it. Azula played on the fact that she had been in the assassin's pants and especially because she would inevitably be _vividly_ imagining what positions the two would be in for the next half hour or so. Two things the Princess ensured she never forgot. Indeed she was not spared from her own personal torment.

"I'm comfortable _here_ Azula, _thanks._" Her voiced dripped with sarcasm, glaring at the Princess.

Azula merely smirked wider and tossed her head, flipping the bangs from her face. She raised her hand casually to the side as she said, "Suit yourself. Ty, we're leaving." Azula shrugged her shoulders roughly, causing the pink girl to grunt in response.

The sound echoed in Mai's mind, drawing forth many other erotic and all too familiar noises of the acrobat. Mai felt a twitch biting at her eyebrow and a stirring in her core. _Damn it Azula…_

Mai tried to burn holes in the Princess's armor as the girl strode out of the room, the fruits of her labor evident in the astounded eyes of the crew members. The assassin rolled her eyes and surveyed the room. The general's eyes were still clamped shut, the man still frozen in salute. The young captain had shrunk a little, his manhood seriously brought into question by the hands of a teenage girl. Worse since there was a clear glint at the corner of his lips, evidence he had drooled a little. The two navigators at the helm were shaking slightly clearly recovering from awe and now raced back to their tasks.

Mai chuckled, resuming the twirling of her knives as she enjoyed the misfortune in the room. She smirked to herself eying her knives thoroughly, _maybe she is better suited for Fire Lord than Zuko…she certainty has the balls for it. _


	8. Chapter 8

**So a long one since I haven't updated for a little bit. Enjoy, r & r. The usual. **

Getting to the drill was much easier than Suki expected. She and the rest of the gang ran close to Toph as the earthbender created a dust cloud for cover. After that it was as easy as simply running underneath the massive drill to find an opening. The latch fell open with a groan, but wasn't heard over the banging and churning sounds of the drill.

Aang, Katara, and Sokka quickly hopped into the drill. Suki hesitated. She wanted to say something to Toph. She felt really bad that the girl had taken some of the scarce words they shared as criticism.

"Well are you going in there or do you not feel like doing your part?" Toph sassed at the older warrior.

Suki winced. She definitely hadn't meant that at all. So much for her attempts to become friends with the girl.

"Hey, about that…" Suki glanced down shyly. It didn't matter that Toph couldn't look her in the eyes; the concentrated blank stare was enough to unnerve her, a very uncommon experience for the Kyoshi Warrior. "I really didn't mean it like that."

Toph waited, continuing to glare aimlessly. She was having trouble picking up Suki's vibrations with the drill surrounding them. It made it very difficult to determine the older girl's motive.

The earthbender's silence didn't comfort Suki at all. _Well_, _I may as well go for the truth_ "Uhm…Well, I was trying to make conversation?" _Yeah, real convincing Suki. _She groaned to herself internally.

"Why." Toph asked stubbornly.

"Well, I was hoping we could be friends, you know, like everyone else." Suki was shifting her feet, not that Toph could see.

Toph blinked at Suki. _She sure is acting strange lately. I wonder if it has to do with that heart rhythm I keep hearing._ She shook her head, opening her mouth to question her about it, when the machine gave a particularly loud groan above them.

Both girls looked up.

"We'll talk later." The earthbender shouted bringing her arms above her head, commanding two pillars to brace the drill. She smiled. "You get inside and stop this thing!"

Suki gave a hopeful smile in return and leaped up, catching the ledge of the opening. Swinging her legs forward for momentum, she back flipped inside the metal contraption.

Toph felt the machine's force against her bending as she effortlessly pushed back against the massive beast. She idly let her thoughts wander to the recently departed Kyoshi Warrior. _I wonder_...

Inside the drill, Suki tried to find traces of the other three. Seeing none, Suki quickly decided she was better off looking than waiting for them to find her. She dashed down a corridor leading towards the front of the drill.

She passed several closed doors before finding an open one. Betting it had been opened by one of her group members she ducked inside, following yet another smaller corridor. The inside of the drill reminded her angrily of the fire nation. The lights cast a red iron like glow among the steel walls. The surroundings were harsh and mechanical, much like the nation itself. It didn't reflect the nobility of Earth Kingdom architecture at all.

She drew her run to a cautious walk, avoiding running into any guards. She could have sworn she heard a noise further down the hall.

She crept closer, straining to hear any indication of whether the owners were friend or foe. She spotted a brighter light cutting through the dingy red glow from a semi-open door. _That must be it_.

She reached the door with managed stealth, the only sounds coming from within sounded like shuffling. The warrior pressed her ear to the metal, attempting to amplify the noise. The wall was cool to the touch and proved to increase the echoes she heard. The shuffling sounded like…_clothing?_

Suki carefully peered around the corner. She didn't see anything until- _holy shit! _ Definitely not friends, but…_woahh wayy friendly?_ She gawked at the sight before her.

Two girls, clearly Fire Nation, stood in the room near a table. One girl wore Fire Nation armor and the other wore a pink outfit of sorts. The one in the armor seemed to be in charge somehow and held a predatory gleam in her eye. Her onyx hair was pulled flawlessly into a bun and two strips of bangs fell to either side of her porcelain features. She had advanced so that the girl in pink was half sitting on the table, leaning backwards on her hands. Two arms were braced on either side of the girl, trapping her between them, marking the situation as anything but innocent.

Suki's breath caught in the back of her throat. Coming from a tribe of women warriors, one would have expected Suki to have come across a scene like this before. This however, was her first. A feeling hit her so hard she nearly melted right to the floor and there wasn't a chance she would be able to move willingly. Instead felt some force pulling her closer to the doorway. She would have cursed if she could. Instead she stood transfixed with her mouth cast slightly ajar, completely disarmed by the sight before her.

It seemed the Kyoshi Warrior wasn't the only powerless one. The girl dressed in pink, who Suki realized was _very_ pretty, sat at the complete mercy of the slightly taller girl. An evident flush across her cheeks portrayed her obvious arousal to the other who seemed enormously pleased. The armored girl bent forwards slightly with two fingers pressed to the center of the pretty girl's chest, preventing her from leaning into her pursuer to capture her lips. It was a battle of stares. The taunting expression in the dominant one's eyes, the utter arousal in the other's. The scene was captivating. It raged such sweet desire in the Kyoshi Warrior.

Never in her life had Suki felt this way before. She knew she should run; something about the black haired girl screamed dangerous. Her mind warned her, _this is not a situation you want to be caught in! _ Yet she couldn't get herself to move. She couldn't even bring herself to look away. Hidden desires, long suppressed and buried were tearing from their cages deep inside of Suki's subconscious. They wreaked havoc on her senses and cognitive abilities. They left her paralyzed. The picture of lust acted in the form of two Fire Nation girls, barred her from denying her own any longer.

She watched helplessly as the black haired beauty shoved her prey back onto the table. In her swift movement, a glint of light caught something on the advancing girl's bun. The blood drained from Suki's face as a Fire Nation crown seemed to emerge from behind the girl's head. _Shit…Shit shit shit! _

_That_ was the _Princess_ of the Fire Nation.

Realization hit her square in the face. She remembered Katara warning them that Princess Azula was on board, along with her two extremely skilled fighters. No doubt the girl in pink was one of them. Based on the descriptions she heard, one was an assassin and the other an acrobat. She didn't have to take a wild guess to assume that this was the acrobat, the one who could literally paralyze you. And there was Suki, immobilized by sight, just a few paces away from two of most dangerous teenagers in the world, watching the _Princess _of the Fire Nation for spirit sakes about to get it on with the infamous Ty Lee? Kyoshi forbid that despite all that, she was actually aroused by the two. _What is wrong with me! _

Azula had crawled on top of Ty Lee and held the girl's hands above her head. Her legs straddled one of the acrobat's, one of her thighs pressed far too close to a certain area. Suki gulped where she stood.

The Princess showed no signs of stopping. Not that Ty Lee looked at all like she wanted her to. There were many emotions in the acrobat's eyes, but none of them said no. Azula was absolutely basking in the sheer arousal and silent pleas of Ty Lee. She soaked in the scene for all it's worth, allowing the idea that she could live like this to cross her mind. She inhaled Ty Lee's scent deeply, taking another hit of her favorite aroma. Her eyes fluttered momentarily as her vision faltered. A blur of green grazed her peripheral, but her lust clouded mind didn't register it as she brought her focus back down to the acrobat beneath her.

She leaned downwards, pushing Ty Lee's arms further above her head as she slid closer to her lips. She craved to taste them between her own again. She already imagined the feel, their soft and slippery texture when she captured them, the plumpness of the lower lip as she sucked between her own, the way she almost tasted a tinge of salty blood than ran just below its surface, and the reminiscent taste of strawberry in her mouth-

Azula's ears perked to the unfamiliar sound. Her eyes shot open as she stopped a fraction short of her prize. Had her lips reached Ty Lee's she would have regretfully missed the noise all together and lost herself in Ty Lee. But she heard it, and it wasn't the same as the ones Ty Lee made. Someone had else gasped.

As soon as the Princess stiffened, Suki did something completely beside herself. She panicked. Fear submerged her already highly lust clouded senses. She tried to break away in every direction at once, having lost every ounce of the cool and composure she normally wielded. She was caught in complete indecision, her feet plastered to the floor. She was so caught. _I'm soo dead_.

Before another thought passed through her head, Suki faced a gold piercing glare. If she had any will to run prior, it was gone now.

Azula stared her down, for just a moment; there was a look of shock and surprise written in her features. Her eyes held their intensity, but in that second neither Azula nor Suki knew what to do. They were both caught in extremely compromising situations, Azula because she had been walked in on and Suki because she had been watching. The shock of being caught was replaced with the anger of being interrupted and the common gaze was broken.

Azula was still on the table over Ty Lee, but her attention was on the intruder. A girl in green clothing and armor with some ridiculous face paint stood in the doorway. Her face was frozen in that same look of shock, fear, and-

Azula paused her observations, _very interesting…_ she mused to herself. Through the heavy white paint, there was an odd faint pinkish color seeping through. The girl, whoever she was, was extremely flustered and it was clear the emotion went beyond the embarrassment of being caught.

Without breaking eye contact, Azula lifted herself off the table and the acrobat to face the intruder squarely. She stood in a cocky manner, a hand on her hip, straight back, and a slight tilt to her head; portraying her clear judgments of the discovered peeper.

Ty Lee had since sat up and pretended not to be disappointed. The trademark pout of her lip betraying her attempt. She begrudgingly glared at the Kyoshi Warrior for interrupting her time with the Princess and took small retribution in the way she squirmed under Azula's gaze.

Suki wilted slightly. She was so, sooo dead. She knew many stories about the Fire Nation Princess. Her looks were deadly and she was extremely dangerous. Born a prodigy and a master strategist, she commanded more fire power than an entire battalion of Fire Nation soldiers. Her cruel, cunning, and calculative nature spoke for itself. From the way she stood mockingly before the Kyoshi Warrior, Suki couldn't help but swallow hard, feeling like none of these were exaggerations.

Perhaps on a different day, she may have been excited to face such a foe. More accurately, perhaps if she was anything like herself; the proud, fearless, and strong Kyoshi Warrior. Suki, however, barely had her wits about her, much less any of her formidable traits. In fact, it seemed her own body, her best weapon had completely betrayed her. Instead of repelling the threat, she was continuing to open herself to it, to the Princess of the flaming Fire Nation! It wasn't hard to imagine that she didn't look any more intimidating than Ty Lee had moments ago.

Azula advanced on her slowly, making each stride purposeful. She paid close attention to the girl's reaction, piecing together what made her tick. As she drew inevitably closer, the would be warrior's eyes widened. They held a strange mix of terror and anticipation.

Azula paused half a stride away from the girl, letting a devious smirk play slowly on her lips.

Before Suki could react, she was slammed into the opposite end of the hallway. Her body collided with the solid wall painfully. The force of the blow caused her jerk forwards as she bounced off the metal. She just started to fall when her right shoulder was smashed back against the wall, a leg wrapped behind her own throwing her off balance before she could regain her senses. Two sharp nails pressed threateningly into her throat, the sharp pain alerted her to her new situation.

The Princess had moved so swiftly and decisively, Suki had to replay the moves in her mind to even comprehend what had taken place. She was pinned effortlessly to the hallway wall, just opposite of the doorway she'd been standing in and Azula was glowering over her.

"Oh shit…" The words slipped out of Suki on reflex, thereby destroying any opportunity to counter the smirking Princess. It had sounded like surrender.

The Kyoshi Warrior reprimanded herself internally. She wanted to glare defiantly back at the Princess. Although her body was still unresponsive and her position didn't warrant any sort of fighting chance, she was still a warrior and certainty didn't give up so easily. _Spirits, what is WRONG with me? Snap out of it Suki! _

She couldn't. She just stared back, her mind firing off on all sorts of tangents and possibilities of the Princess's next move.

Azula was pleased with this girl's reactions. She was so flustered she couldn't do a thing! Azula figured from the underlying confusion on the girl's face that this was not a position she found herself in often. She had the build of a warrior and held a strong streak of defiance, even if it fled her now. She was probably a very proud girl. She smirked darkly, watching the girl swallow in response. _This is almost worth being interrupted_…

Without moving her fingers from the girl's neck, Azula leaned in feeling the girl start to squirm under her hold. She recognized the girl wasn't trying to get away _really_, the proximity just made her body lose control. It was almost as if she couldn't handle it, as if she'd never…Azula paused before her grin widened even further. _So this would be her first? Very interesting…_

The girl was practically melting in her grip. Azula ran her fingernails in light strokes along the length of her prey's neck, while leaning closer to her lips.

Suki's eyes slid shut in anticipation. She could still feel the glow of golden eyes upon her, taking in every move and reaction. Then there was an impossibly warm breath on her lips. _Oh spirits! Her lips, the Princess Azula is going to kiss me!_

Suki's mind was practically screaming at her, screaming in protest, and louder in absolute wanting. The only sound that was voiced was a whimper. All her senses were on fire in ways she hadn't dreamed were possible. She had experienced heightened senses when she fought, but this was another thing entirely. How could such a slight stroke of a fingernail make her leg shake? Or since when had the scent of another made her mind completely fogged? Every inch of her body in contact with the Princess burned, and every slight shift between them sent shivers down her spine. And what in spirits name was that aching in between her legs?

Azula was beyond excited. Seducing her friends was one thing. Seducing her enemies was something she hadn't even considered. _Oh things around here are getting so fun. _

The Earth Kingdom warrior before her was a complete mess, and she had barely even touched her. She briefly considered kissing the girl and taking her in the hallway, but Ty Lee was behind her. It wasn't as if she _cared_ or anything, sex was sex after all. But if this girl was here, no doubt there were others.

As if on cue, she heard three pairs of footsteps running through the outside corridor. She sighed to herself, but let the breath tickle the warrior's ear. She smirked when the girl nearly bucked into her leg. _Might as well make sure she doesn't forget me, as if she could..._

Azula moved her lips to the base of the girl's ear lobe. She could hear her unsteady breathing as it tickled her own ear. Azula drew her tongue slowly along the girl's ear, reveling in the way the warrior squirmed and released a long moan. The girl's voice was husky enough to sound like a groan of some sort and Azula figured it would do. She could hear the footsteps getting closer. _Well, duty calls…_she sighed to herself. _Might as well knock those pesky benders around before this stupid drill breaks…_

"You're friends are here." Azula hissed in the girl's ear, before leaning back to face the hallway just as the Avatar and friends burst through.

Suki barely registered the words, the sharp tone of the Princess just able to cut through her haze. She opened her eyes to see the Princess backing away and glancing casually in the other direction. Her face already composed in cool and calculative expression. She absentmindedly let her gaze follow that of the Princess's to see her friends standing frozen in the doorway. Luckily for her, due to Azula's aggressive stance it simply appeared she'd been captured.

"Let go of Suki you wrench!" Sokka screamed, being the first to break from initial shock. He wailed his boomerang at the Princess.

Azula easily knocked the weapon away with the hand that was at Suki's throat.

"Oh please, you'll have to do better than that." Azula drawled, letting a cocky sneer grace her features as she mocked the watertribe boy. _From the tone of his voice this Suki girl obviously means something to him._ Her sneer grew wider. _He must not even know. Oh how interesting indeed_.

Aang drew his staff and sent a blast of air at the Princess who leaped backwards. As the gust sliced through the new space between Azula and Suki, they glanced at each other. The wind seemed to sweep the cloud over Suki's mind along with it as a rush of adrenaline knocked her back to her senses. Azula caught the change in the warrior's demeanor, she was back. The Princess smirked at her. Suki fumed, understanding every implication of that smirk.

Suki responded the only way she knew how. She drew her fans and lunged the instant the air passed them. Azula quickly fell into combat, deflecting the attacks with trained ease. She hadn't felt the need to start firebending yet. She wanted to see how the girl fought first.

Azula was slightly disappointed to realize that Suki wasn't an earthbender. Though they were in the steel hull of the ship, cut off from a bending source, Suki's style didn't follow the same movements of a trained earthbender. Not that she really respected other forms of bending. Although, there was that blind earthbender: Toph or something. It was more bending in general that she felt a reasonable affiliation with. It briefly crossed her mind that she'd never actually been with a bender. _Yet anyways_, she added with a devious smirk. _That could be arranged._

The thought did surprise her, but she'd been busy with her skilled comrades. And although they weren't benders, she was completely satisfied with the fact that they could fight much better than most of them anyway. _Speaking of which, _Azula thought to herself after her eyes widened slightly, having to doge another strike faster than she anticipated. _This girl isn't bad herself. _

The armor of a Kyoshi Warrior looked relatively heavy, especially for a girl with Suki's relatively girly frame. Although it was impossible to discern the warrior's body type, Azula could imagine from her delicate wrist and small neck that Suki was not built for brawn. So she was surprised when the girl moved almost as quickly as herself underneath the added weight. She was also surprised that Suki was a lot stronger than she appeared as well. Blocking the girl's advances took more effort than expected, not that Azula would have a problem with it.

Despite her usual nature of degrading and minimizing her opponents, Azula did have a soft spot for someone with skill. If there was one thing Azula could understand, it was battle aptitude. Not that she would let them think they could even dream of having a chance to beat her, but she still took note in her mind, filed somewhere under the subject of _interesting subjects_. And it just so seemed that Suki might make that list after all.

Azula's concentration on Suki was broken as she looked up just in time to see a familiar water whip flying her way. She leapt from its path and glared in the direction of yet another interruption. _The water peasant…_

Katara was glaring at Azula menacingly. Aang stood by her side with his staff at the ready. Behind them, Ty Lee was dancing around the watertribe boy, giggling at him. Azula rolled her eyes, but managed to feel a bit of anger at the boy. She didn't like the attention he got from _her _acrobat. She definitely didn't like the way he was blushing either. _Doesn't he like this Suki girl anyway? _ She wanted to wipe that stupid look off his face, but unfortunately the Avatar and his girlfriend were in the way.

"Tch.." the sound of annoyance left her as she glared at the couple.

Azula turned sideways so she could keep an eye on the Avatar and the waterbender as well as Suki at the same time. They couldn't surround her completely because of the narrow hallway, but it seemed she was going to have to fight from two fronts at once. She closed her eyes, drawing her innerfire. _They really shouldn't have waited for me to attack…_

A smirk appeared on her face as she shifted releasing a wave of blue fire in both directions. Suki blocked the blunt of the flame with her fans redirecting it further down the hall, while Aang and Katara drew their water to block the attack. The water met Azula's blue flames with a hiss, as steam poured into the hall.

Azula's smirk widened at the success of her plan. She shot two large blasts at Katara and Aang, who only saw the blast in time to soften the blows. Both benders were flown backwards out of the steam concealed everything in front of them, leaving only Suki and Azula in the fog.

Azula listened carefully for a sound from Suki. It was rather difficult since Suki was also trained well in stealth, but there was a faint shuffling to her far right. Azula drifted to the area of the sound and positioned herself behind the Kyoshi Warrior, who seemed to be listening for her as well. She leaned in close, just behind Suki's ear.

"I'll see you again, _my_ _little warrior_."

The Princess's voice sent shivers down Suki's spine. The words were spoken softly, but the tone held a commanding edge and a strange possessiveness to it. It made her feel the way the Princess probably wanted her to, like it was true.

Suki shuttered at the thought. She wasn't exactly sure if the reaction was born of disgust or something she'd rather not name. She convinced herself it was the first, thinking, _No Kyoshi Warrior would ever be property of the Fire Nation!_ She whipped around to find only more steam. Blasts of fire and sounds of battle alerted her to the Fire Princess's location. She charged out of the steam to find Ty Lee waiting for her.

Suki looked around for Sokka, only to find him slumped on the ground several yards behind the acrobat. She'd hit all his pressure points, paralyzing him for the next fifteen minutes or so.

The acrobat let an unusually devious smirk form at her features, one which Suki nearly mimicked. She'd seen the way Ty Lee had looked at her boyfriend and Ty Lee had certainty seen the way she had looked at Azula. It was a grudge match now.

The two were just about to leap into battle when Suki was pinned, once again, against a hallway wall. Suki struggled to see what on earth was holding her back when she found nine knives imbedded in her clothes and the steel wall behind her. Both girls looked down the hall to see the gloomy assassin eying them strangely.

"Mai!" Ty Lee exclaimed, half in surprise and half in protest.

"What. You guys were making so much noise I left to find out what it was. And _she_ looked like she wanted to rip your head off." Mai deadpanned despite the last accusation.

Ty Lee pouted slightly. She'd wanted to get a few jabs in, but it would have to wait. She surveyed the room only to find that in the commotion, Azula and the two benders had disappeared.

Mai looked at her expectantly. Ty Lee took one last glance at Suki, glaring, before she ran off in whatever direction the Princess had taken. Mai mimicked Ty Lee's action with curiosity. _Something went down here alright…_ She shook her head and went after Ty Lee, following the sounds of battle taking place somewhere else in the drill.

"Well…that was weird." Piped Sokka, who was still in a heap on the ground.

Suki stopped struggling against the bonds to glare at Sokka.

"What. Nothing happened! Besides you going googoo eyes at Ty Lee." She quipped.

"Eep! I didn't do anything!"

Suki just sighed. Sokka was right about one thing. That was _extremely_ weird.

She quickly replayed the whole scenario in her mind, instantly regretting it. The images were crystal clear and she felt her body reacting similarly. She shook her head harshly as she imagined Azula kissing Ty Lee. This wasn't just weird, it was flat out impossible.

The words Azula spoke just before she left replayed in her mind, _I'll see you again, my little warrior._ She shivered again. "Damn it!" She really didn't like not being able to control her body. It was so unlike her, yet so-

"Uhm…What are you thinking about?"

Suki instantly went red and mumbled something incoherent.

Sokka just looked dumbfounded.

As Mai and Ty Lee ran though the drill, they noticed some of the larger support beams of the drill were partially cut through. They glanced at each other, confirming each had seen the work of the Avatar and his friends.

"It's going to collapse." Mai stated.

"Yep." Chirped Ty Lee.

Mai sighed, "Azula was right, this was pointless."

"And boring." Ty Lee imitated before giggling.

"Ty…" she scolded, before turning to interrogate her friend, "But not for you apparently."

Ty Lee beamed innocently, though she knew that never actually worked on Mai. The assassin continued to eye her suspiciously.

"Well…It woouulld have been. But that Suki girl walked in on us." She huffed.

Mai stopped in actual surprise, _how had Azula let that happen._

Ty Lee giggled at her friends reaction and took it as a cue to continue, "Well, she was about to kiss me when the girl gasped and 'Zula caught her. She looked kinda surprised, like she was caught off guard." Mai eyed her further at the last statement, to which Ty Lee just shook her head. "I know, but she did alright?"

Mai was still surprised, but took Ty Lee at her word. She was overtly honest and particularly observant when she wanted to be. "Did you know she was there?"

Ty Lee grinned at that. She had been surprised when Azula continued. The acrobat assumed it was to test the girl, but when she saw the faint look of surprise in her Princess's features, Ty Lee realized she hadn't even noticed. Not that she would ever say anything, she would let Azula assume she'd been too caught up to realize it as well.

Mai just crossed her arms at the acrobat and almost smiled. _Of course she did. _ _Sometimes I really underestimate you Ty Lee… _

"Alright, so there was a peeping tom."

"I almost thought it was you, but the makeup was too cheery." Ty Lee chimed innocently as she tucked her hands behind her back. She giggled at the icy glare Mai gave her.

Mai sighed, really only Ty Lee could do that and get away with it. She was also the only one who didn't shrink under that glare, well her and Azula at least.

"I'm not a peeping tom." She groaned. It was enough for Azula to tease her about it; she didn't need Ty Lee's playful swats as well.

"Oh?"

"Ty Lee…"

"Okay, Okay. Anyway, Suki, like others," She winked at Mai playfully. "enjoyed the show!"

Mai narrowed her eyes at the acrobat. She was pushing it.

"And?" The assassin said through clenched teeth. Despite herself, Mai was actually mildly interested, though she wouldn't admit it.

Ty Lee giggled again. It was rare when she got to tease Mai, and she wanted the stoic girl could loosen up a bit. A little embarrassment never hurt anyone after all, though Mai would strongly disagree.

"'Zula was going to seduce her. Not that she had to do much. You know how 'Zula is." She nearly smiled proudly at that, "But then her friends came and ruined the show."

Mai rolled her eyes. The way Ty Lee could make light of nearly anything almost impressed her. She frowned for a moment, remembering something she'd been meaning to ask.

"Hey Ty?"

"Yeah Mai?" the acrobat was still smiling.

Mai almost didn't want to ask. Admittedly, though Ty Lee was too cheerful for her taste, she didn't like it when the girl stopped smiling. She just started to open her mouth when the drill gave a large groan.

The two looked at each other. Mai took the lead.

"Let's get out of here."

Meanwhile, Azula was on top of the drill fighting the Avatar.

On the way up, she'd seen his little cuts in the support beams and figured out his little plan to break the drill. She honestly didn't really care about that. He was her main objective.

He fought her off with air, water, and earth, but none of the elements could stop her fire. His air forms were pretty good; not quite a master, but he gave her the most trouble with that one. The other two elements had improved since they had last fought, but he was at an intermediate level at both.

Though he was the Avatar, he didn't blend the elements in a way that gave him an advantage. He merely attacked her with three different sources of bending. None of which was strong enough to counter the bending of Azula, who spent the last ten minutes effortlessly proving it to him.

Aang was running out of options. He had to make the final blow to the top of the drill soon or the plan would fail. He threw everything at her, but she was relentless. He wasn't even sure if he had landed a clean blow yet!

Every attack he made was dogged and countered like second nature. She looked so comfortable with her bending, he couldn't explain it. Aang wondered if he had ever felt his bending was as easy as the Princess made it look, much less while fighting.

Aang coated himself in rock armor and charged at Azula. She leapt to avoid him, kicking powerful blasts of fire at his back. The blasts knocked him forward and unconscious. She scoffed at him. _Honestly, the Avatar isn't even as strong as that earthbender. _

She strode forward and picked him up by the collar. Conjuring blue flames in her free palm, she took a final look at the Avatar. _ Really, this much trouble over a kid_… She raised her hand, preparing to strike when she felt something coming at her from behind.

She just turned her head when a huge wave of water slammed her and the Avatar into the wall. Azula struggled to find her feet in the sludge that now coated the drill. The water had mixed all the earth Aang had used in their fight to create a huge pile of muck.

"Urg.." Azula grunted, attempting to rid herself of the substance. She rose to find an angry waterbender with a massive water source at the ready.

Azula wiped a glob of the stuff off her cheek and glared at the girl. She would pay for this mess.

"I was wondering where you ran off to _peasant!_"

"How dare you hurt Aang!" Katara shouted at Azula.

Azula scoffed as she glanced down where the still unconscious Avatar lay. "Please, he wouldn't get beat up so badly if he wasn't so weak!" she spat.

"Aang is not weak! Take that back!"

Azula smirked at the waterbender. She was so naïve.

"And I assume you'll be the one to make me?" Azula had shed her fighting stance for a more casual pose as she mocked Katara. "It's sad that you have to defend your boyfriend. I'm not one for conformity, but isn't the boy supposed to protect the girl?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Katara yelled more defensively than she had meant it. She liked Aang, but he wasn't her boyfriend. She glared when Azula raised her eyebrow at her. She hated that look; it meant Azula was assuming things, things that were usually right. She had to say something to make her stop. "And he does protect me!"

Azula merely looked back at Aang and then back at Katara who cursed to herself internally.

"Really, I can see that." Azula smirked through her sarcasm. She loved toying with the waterbender. "He looks soo strong."

"I'll show you who's strong!"

"Oh, I'm sure you will." Azula said while looking at her finger nails. She paused, looking up to meetKatara's eyes, "That is…if you can stop staring long enough to fight me." Her last statement held bite to her tone as she challenged the waterbender.

Katara stepped back on reflex.

Azula smirked victoriously, knowing she'd hit her mark. She glowered as the waterbender fumed at her. It was always so entertaining when they got angry.

Katara was still shaking with rage when she started bending her water. Azula merely lit a fire in each hand and leapt towards Katara, initiating the attack.

Katara sent another huge wave at the prodigy, who brought her hands together and intensified her fire. Azula made a wedge of fire around herself and cut through the wave as it crashed behind her. Within a moment of breaking through the water, she'd grabbed Katara by the neck and held a flame in two fingers of her free hand like a blow torch. Katara froze for a second, stunned by the firebender's actions and now proximity. Azula waved the fire in Katara's face casually, making it clear to the girl how effortlessly it had been.

Recovering, the waterbender raged again shoving Azula off her. She drew the water back around her defensively, separating herself from the firebender.

"Already on the defensive? I thought you were going to teach me a lesson." Azula taunted.

Katara felt her anger rising again, but acted to control it. She had let Azula get the better of her the first time, coaxing her into a full on attack with no room for defense. She clenched her fists; she wouldn't be played by this evil Princess.

She bent the water around her body and formed six tentacles to fight with. Azula shrugged, realizing that her bait hadn't worked and dropped back into her stance. Katara struggled to match the prodigy, blow for blow, but kept up for the most part. Every movement Azula made was coupled with some sort of bending attack.

Firebending was a rather rigid form, closer to earthbending than any other element. The movements were meant to be strong and decisive, exerting full control over the flames that would otherwise follow their own path of destruction.

Katara knew that Azula was every inch a firebender. She exhibited incredible control as she moved with her element effortlessly. However, her movements weren't like any other firebender. When she got into a real fight, her movements were decisive, but fluid. It almost reminded her of waterbending, but she shuttered at the thought. Azula was too cruel to be a waterbender.

Katara felt a flame pass her cheek that was far too close for comfort, just as Azula dogged a sharpened whip of water that managed to cut a few of her hairs. The prodigy glared at Katara. _After fighting with the Avatar for nearly fifteen minutes, I hadn't suffered a single blow. Yet this girl, a water peasant manages to nearly cut me?_

Katara almost smirked at Azula. It was nice to see the tables turned. She was about to shout a snide remark at the firebender when she noticed the girl had begun to smirk.

_This just got interesting…_

"What are y-"

Both girls looked up from their duel to find Aang crouched slab of stone that was now embedded in the drill.

"Tch." Azula frowned at the Avatar who looked far too proud of himself. She glanced at Katara who was smiling at the boy on the rock.

Katara turned back with a glare that was doubled by Aang. Azula considered striking them for their insolence, but the groan of the drill deflected her thoughts. _Where are Mai and Ty Lee?_

Azula glanced around the roof and saw an open hatch not too far behind her. She took one last look at the Avatar and waterbender and glared before taking off in the other direction for the hatch.

"Yeah you'd better run!" She heard the childish voice of the Avatar calling after her. Azula rolled her eyes and considered blasting him with lighting, but as always there were other matters to attend to.

She jumped in the drill and landed twenty feet below in crouch, not bothering with the ladder. She was in the main hull, which was open through the entire length of the drill. She searched for any signs of her acrobat and assassin and found them looking at each other at the far end of the drill.

"Mai, Ty Lee!" Her sharp and commanding voice carried through the length of the machine.

She saw the two small figures look over towards her. They seemed to nod to each other and began running towards her. The drill was beginning to shake, and she could see the cuts in the support frames were starting to give. _Oh Agni…_ she groaned. _They aren't going to make it. _

Before she could think of how ridiculous it might look, she began running towards them. She stopped as she got closer and settled into a stance. Drawing both hands in opposite circles, she charged a blast of lighting. Azula felt the current run through her careful to keep it flowing; she needed to time this just right.

Just as her comrades reached her, she released it on the outer wall of the drill. The blast was all the drill could take and it began to crumble around them.

"Ty Lee!" Azula called. The Acrobat quickly grabbed her Princess as she was recovering and ran across the drill for the opening. Support beams were crashing everywhere and the acrobat dogged them deftly. Mai followed suit. Both girls, Mai and Ty Lee with Azula in arm, made a final jump for the opening, just as a huge beam trembled loose above them. The trio flew out of the drill just before the beam sealed off the opening.

Mai and Ty Lee both landed on their feet on the ground some thirty feet below the hole Azula had made. Ty Lee released the Princess who wore a slight blush on her face. She hadn't exactly meant for Ty Lee to do _that_. The blast had taken an unusual amount of force, but she was more than able to doge a few falling beams and leap out of a drill.

Azula brushed herself off, using that as an opportunity to conceal the pink tinge on her flawless skin. When she was sure it was gone, she turned back to face the other two.

Ty Lee was wearing her trademark grin, although it seemed even bigger than usual. Mai held a sly smirk of her own.

"What." Azula demanded. She wanted them to stop looking at her like that. It was kind of…embarrassing.

Mai said nothing, but her eyes told Azula she'd caught her blushing. Azula scowled back at Mai. It was no use having such a perceptive comrade if it was used against her.

Ty Lee on the other hand practically jumped on Azula, pulling her in a bone-crushing hug. Azula was stunned for a moment as she struggled to breathe. Ty Lee's happy voice filtered in somewhere. She was nearly singing.

"You came back for us!"

Azula rolled her eyes. _Of course I did…_

"Of course Ty Lee…I still have use for you." She said as she lifted her chin, looking anywhere but the eyes of her friends.

Ty Lee just kept smiling her happy smile. While Mai remained smug with her arms crossed.

All three of them knew what she had meant.

They finally caught up to her on top of the drill.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey all. I'm really glad you are enjoying the story so far! I hope there's enough action and other good things for ya. Thanks for the reviews; I particularly enjoy the ones that sight specific things they liked. Oh they make my day. The PM's are fun too! Glad the Azuki is working for ya. Fear not, more to come. Oh so much more. I got a challenge for AzulaxYue. Probably won't fit for this story, but when I get some time I'll throw one together. Anyway, the plot thickens, once again. Enjoy. **

Earth Kingdom Soldiers surrounded the drill just a few minutes after it collapsed. They were busy taking Fire Nation Soldiers that had managed to escape the drill in time prisoner. They herded them into makeshift detention centers that the earthbenders were beginning to build. Everyone was so busy because they had managed to capture a Fire Nation general and manage to stop a siege on Ba sing Sei that they didn't notice three teenage girls slipping away.

Aang helped Katara off of the crumbled drill. Surprisingly, they had remained on top of the drill while it collapsed. Other than a bruise that would probably form on her bottom, both Katara and Aang managed to escape unscathed.

"Katara we did it!" He shouted, punching his fist through the air unknowingly taking a current of wind along with it.

He opened his eyes when he heard a particularly large grumble from an even larger Earth Kingdom soldier. He glared at the young airbender before marching over.

"I'm sorry sir! But I'm the Avatar, I just stopped the drill!" Aang stated in his defense.

"Yeah, just watch it next time." He ruffed, still rubbing his back. He looked at the girl next to the Avatar, pausing to look her up and down and decided to change his attitude. "I'm Jeo, captian of this brigade here. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Aang smiled at him and looked at Katara who had a pleasant but skeptical look on her face.

"I'm Aang, this is Katara! We want to see the Earth King!"

Jeo chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm but paid special attention when he mentioned his companions name. "Well, I'll talk to the general for you and see what I can do." He said with a smile, winking at Katara.

Aang watched the captain with a curious expression as the soldier walked away. He didn't really get what that last part was about, but figured it had something to do with the way Katara was glaring at him. He was about to ask her what was wrong when Katara froze up before looking around somewhat frantically.

"Where's everyone else!"

Aang jerked to attention. He wheeled around, looking at the scrap metal that was now the drill. It looked like the remains of a battlefield. He cringed. Blood covered some of the exposed support beams.

A panic began to set in both of the benders as they ran towards the defeated beast, searching frantically for their friends. Katara tried to remember the last time she saw any of them. She had left Suki and Sokka in the hall way, and Sokka had been paralyzed! She left Suki with Ty Lee, she was probably became paralyzed too! _Maybe Toph saved them! _She allowed herself to hope. _But Toph didn't go in because she…was under the drill! _ A cold feeling submerged her senses. She had followed Aang to the top of the drill when Mai cut her off, slowing her down for a bit and by the time she got past her, she was too busy with Azula to go back! _Azula…_Katara thought…_Azula ran away from her and Aang because she went back for Mai and Ty Lee?_ Katara was starting to feel sick. The demon of the Fire Nation had probably managed to save her comrades while she let her friends get crushed.

Katara looked to her side; Aang didn't look any better than she did. He was clutching a tattered green cloth that he'd found sticking out from the bottom of the drill. His face was hidden in shadow as he stared aimlessly on the ground. _No…they can't be…_ Tears began welling up in Katara's eyes. The first one she thought of was Sokka, her brother. They were supposed to stay together!

In a moment of grief Katara threw her head back and cried.

"SOKKA!"

"Ooof!" A large object knocked Aang to the ground, blowing up a cloud of dust around him.

Katara looked on, stunned, at the tangle of blue and orange.

"AND DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT AGAIN!"

Katara turned in the direction of that voice. It was unmistakable, the bratty, confident, you aren't the boss of me voice of Toph Bei Fong. The waterbender stared dumfounded, atop the crumbled drill stood Toph, in her trademark stance, with a hand on her hip and the other pointing firmly in her direction. Beside her was a slightly stunned and bashful Suki. _Sokka?_ Katara looked back at the two boys who now stood dusting themselves off.

"Sokka!"

The watertribe boy looked up just in time to see his sister crashing into him with a huge hug. He was now not only disoriented, but also confused.

"Uh, Katara? Are you okay?"

"You're alive!" She nearly cried.

"Um…yes? Unless that crazy earthbender gets a hold of me again!" Sokka exclaimed, his mood changing from confused to upset.

Katara ignored him and kept hugging the boy until he eventually pried her off.

Aang was simply smiling at the exchange, very relieved and thankful that everyone was alright. He was curious, though, as to why Toph didn't want Katara to ever say Sokka's name again. He looked back to the two girls on top of the drill who seemed to be chatting to one another. They paused and looked unsure about something, before Suki stepped forward to embrace the girl in an awkward hug. Aang smiled wider to himself. _Everyone's getting along! _He chirped happily to himself before running off to find the Earthbending captain.

After the commotion had settled, the Gaang had been escorted into the upper rings of Ba Sing Sei by Jeo. He gave them a basic tour of the city as they went along, making side comments to Katara. They arrived at a large house with forest green tiles and gold trim. The group gasped at the sight, most of them not used to such a nice house. After all, Katara and Sokka lived in igloos, Aang lived with the monks, and Suki lived in shacks on Kyoshi. Jeo stood proudly, happy with everyone's impressed expression. That was until Toph scoffed.

"Psh, this is about as big as my _bathroom._" She snickered when his face dropped and strolled inside. It wasn't as if she cared for lavish things anyway. She preferred her rock tents and living outdoors. She just didn't like the way Jeo or whatever his name was, was using it to show off. If they thought this was impressive, then they really _should_ see her bathroom. It was probably nicer.

Toph strolled inside with her hands tossed behind her head. Katara, although not Jeo's biggest fan, gave an apologetic glance as the rest followed Toph inside. He winked goodbye to Katara, who smiled politely before turning and rolling her eyes.

Joe watched her disappear into the house, smiling to himself. His captain title got him a lot of girls. This one might put up a little fight, but since when did not get what he wanted. He turned from the house chuckling to himself and walked away.

The house was well furnished and comprised of a living room, kitchen, two bathrooms, and three bedrooms. After a long debate over room assignments, Sokka complaining that the boys never got their own separate rooms and the girls arguing about feminine issues needing more space, Aang declared that they would have to pull straws.

Aang held five straws in his hand. Two were long, two were medium and one was short. On the count of three they drew. Sokka immediately groaned upon looking at his straw. Katara cheered. Aang just smiled sheepishly and Toph and Suki refused to look at each other. Katara got the short one giving her the small, but single bedroom. Aang and Sokka drew the medium, inevitably making Sokka share the room with two beds anyway. This left Toph and Suki with the master bedroom with the single, king sized bed.

Sokka tried to discretely scoot over to Toph and whispered, "Pst. Toph, you like Aang right? Wanna trade?"

Toph stared blankly at him and glanced in Suki's direction. Did she, want to trade so that he could sleep with Suki and she got stuck with twinkle toes? Better her than him right? Besides, something had been funny with Suki and after the drill episode, well, things were definitely odd. She returned her glare to Sokka and socked him in the stomach before walking outside to the yard. Sokka collapsed to the floor, twitching every now and then. Suki watched the exchange and now her boyfriend on the ground, shaking her head. _Yeah, my boyfriend…_

Suki sighed and lifted him off the ground. She thought it odd the way she held him over her shoulder. _No girlfriend would ever be doing this, well, not to her boyfriend right?_ She shook the thought from her mind as she walked towards the couch. He squeaked a little when she dropped him on the cushions before walking to her new room. She wouldn't follow Toph, she probably didn't want her there. It didn't matter anyway, she wouldn't know what to say. The blind earthbender must have know something for her to act like that. It was hard, after all, to lie to someone who could sense your damn heartbeat. She sighed again as she reached her doorway, her eyes wandering to the bed that filled the room. _ Tonight is going to be difficult, isn't it?_

Toph stood outside, leaning on one of the walls of their newly appointed house. She watched her friends move around on the inside and cabbage merchants roll their carts on the outside. She turned her blind gaze to the sky, as if looking for something. She didn't see it of course. _Seeing…_ she thought to herself. No she never had trouble seeing, but maybe this time she had seen a little too much.

Her vision was a curious thing. Sure she missed out on things like color, but her vision was much greater and freer than most. Technically, she could see through walls. Well, maybe it was that the walls were what allowed her to see in the first place, as long as they were stone, or so she thought. The earthbending prodigy tried to wrap her young mind around her newest discovery. Maybe it was because of those stone pillars, pushing against the drill. It had been pretty fuzzy; the purity of earth in the metal was nothing like stone, but she could see something moving inside the drill: inside the metal.

The sight had been somewhat of a venn-diagram. Her pillars had marked either side of the room, giving her a certain radius of sight. The room, being right in the middle, was overlapped by both ranges of the pillars giving her the most amplified area of vision. If it hadn't been for that, she would have been sure she'd imagined the whole thing. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she wasn't imagining it now. Either way, when Sokka had been babbling on about Suki acting weird in the drill her suspicions were confirmed.

Toph had been grumbling to herself as she climbed over the drill with the squabbling couple. Sokka, once again, hadn't even bothered to thank her; he was too busy fussing over Suki. The girl threw a couple glances her way, but hadn't found a break in Sokka's rant to manage a word of gratitude.

Toph had run into the drill with very poor vision to find them after she'd felt Aang deliver the final blow. The shaky infrastructure of the drill was coming down any minute now and from what she had seen Suki was still nailed to the wall and Sokka was paralyzed. Luckily they weren't very far so she didn't have to navigate very long. She'd torn one of the blades from the wall and cut the rest off, freeing Suki. The warrior grabbed Sokka and helped lead them back down the hatch. Just as the drill collapsed, Toph hit the ground, tossing Suki and Sokka to the far side of the drill. She then did the same for herself, just as one of the support beams caught the bottom of her robe, tearing it slightly.

Toph looked down at her robe. She would have to ask Katara to fix that and she _hated_ asking the sugar queen for anything. She was barely listening to the other two when she heard something about Azula.

It was kind of funny what her blind glare could do to people. When she heard Sokka mention how he walked in on Azula with Suki pinned to the wall, she shot a surprised glance right through the Kyoshi Warrior. Sokka was of course oblivious, thinking she'd been worried that Suki was on the brink of death when he dashed in for the rescue. Suki wasn't. Suki's heart rate sky rocked, and her breathing was as nervous as she'd ever seen it.

At that moment they were both seeing the same scene unfolding: Toph through the metal floor of the drill, and Suki in Toph's blank stare.

Then Toph saw something inside the Warrior she'd never seen: vulnerability. She could practically hear the girl squirming and begging Toph not to tell. It did, after all, seem like one hell of a juicy secret. The dastardly Princess of the Fire Nation had pulled a move on the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors and it worked.

Normally the young earthbender would have been thrilled. She loved knowing things others didn't, and to some extent, she liked taking advantage of it too. But somehow, she didn't squeal with delight. Rather she was worried for the girl. The same girl who was with the guy she wanted. She could crush her! And she was _very_ good at crushing things. Sokka's _girlfriend _was fraternizing with the biggest enemy of all. She was _betraying _him. Yet, as she watched Sokka poke and prod the extremely frightened girl, she was mad _him_ instead.

"And the way she was looking at you like that? What a creep! Ah! Suki! What if she was checking you out or something?" Sokka yelled hysterically, a disgusted expression on his features. "How dare she do something that _filthy_ to _my girlfriend_! I bet they are all like that in the Fire Nation, perverted!"

Toph could feel Suki flinch with every phrase. Couldn't he see it? Did he even notice what he was doing to her? A fit of rage was building in Toph with every frantic beat of Suki's heart.

"Sokka…" Toph hissed at him

"They're disgusting!"

Suki almost whimpered.

"SOKKA!" She screamed, slamming her foot into the metal. A huge chunk whacked the boy from underneath and sent him flying thirty yards away onto a certain airbender.

Toph just stood there seething for a moment. She couldn't believe how insensitive Sokka had been. As it was _she _was disgusted with _him_. She was so upset that she hadn't even realized she stumbled upon metal bending. Suki stood there as well. Toph's actions were so shocking that the fear and dread she'd been going through vanished.

The earthbender nearly sighed in relief at that. She didn't like to see the warrior in that sort of state, it was too unlike her. With her relief also came realization of what she had just done. How weird was it that she had reacted so passionately to Suki's distress. _Why the heck did I get so mad anyway?_ Toph scolded herself. Sure she had a hot head and a short fuse, but for Suki? _Well, it was probably more that Sokka was acting like an ass._

"Um, thanks." Toph had to take a second to realize that shy voice had come from Suki.

Toph glanced at Suki as warmth crept to her face. _Why did that sound so…cute?_ _What the heck?_ Toph turned to the side and gruffed, "Yeah, sure."

The two just stood there for a while, neither faced each other. The silence was starting to make Toph feel awkward. Suki still looked to shy to say anything.

"You're boyfriend is just an idiot. Don't worry about him." Toph remarked in her usual voice, though there was a tiny note of concern. She waved her hand as if trying to blow away the tension.

Suki gave her a genuine smile. Toph could feel a certain lightness to the girl, as if some burden was momentarily lifted. A small smile formed on her own lips. Suki stepped forward and drew her arms around Toph who seized up for a moment. She hadn't expected that. If she had she probably would have pushed the older girl off, she wasn't one for touchy feely crap. Suki released her with a small laugh, returning to her usual demeanor.

"We should probably get down there. I think there's something wrong with Katara." Suki commented with a smile.

Toph grunted in response as her usual troublemaker smile spread on her face, "Isn't there _always _something wrong with Katara?"

Toph sighed again, recalling that situation. Sure it was fine when the others were around, but Suki was a _talker_. Thank the spirits she wasn't as bad as Katara, but the earthbender imagined Suki would bring something up. After all she didn't know how much Toph had seen. Even if she didn't say anything, Suki often got nervous around her and knowing that made things tense as well. _Geez, why can't everything be as straight forward as earthbending…now that's easy. This new metalbending…its fuzzy…just like this Suki thing…_ Toph thought for a moment. She smirked to herself. _What a nice metaphor._

Back inside, Sokka had passed out on the couch after spending fifteen minutes complaining about food. The other two in the room had ignored him, one because they were so used to tuning out the needs of his overactive stomach and two because they were arguing.

"So…what do you think of Jeo?" Aang asked out of curiosity and a hope to start a conversation.

"What about him?" Katara sighed.

"Well, I don't know. Do you like him?" he inquired. He had talked to Sokka the other day and found out that girls have 'types'. What better way to find out Katara's type than to compare. He smiled inwardly at his cleverness.

Katara's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Why would I like a guy like him? He's brutish and full of himself!"

"Oh. I was just wondering…" Aang felt a little hopeful inside. He was humble, the monks taught him that. He certiantly wasn't brutish, but he was supposed to be strong…_Does Katara not like strong people_? "So you don't like him because he's strong?"

"That's not what I said."

"So you do like strong people?" He asked with a bit of enthusiasm.

Katara thought for a moment. She wasn't very keen on twenty one questions, but who was she to get mad at Aang. She cared for him and this seemed to make him happy.

"Yeah, I suppose." She smiled questioningly when she saw Aang's face light up. _Oh, so that's what he's doing. _She thought with a slightly bitter expression. He was quite insistent about things like this. It was flattering, but sometimes it made her a little uncomfortable.

"Well, Zuko's strong…" He seemed to mumble.

_Zuko…_she thought of him for a moment. He was, but he terrorized them. Though come to think of it, she mostly only saw his damn sister these days. She somehow always ended up fighting them. No matter how the groups broke up, she was always stuck with Zuko or Azula. They were so similar, the royal siblings. They were strong, that was for sure. Azula was stronger though. They were also evil. Azula was way more evil. Something about them always drew her attention. She was sometimes nearly obsessed with Azula…because she hated her so much of course. They were also so…so…captivating…and Azula…

"Do you like him?" Aang had managed to say.

Katara startled, yanked from her thoughts, instantly cursing them when she realized who they were about.

"Do..do you like Zuko?"

Katara stared at him with shock. _Did she like one of the Royal siblings of terror?_ _How dare he even suggest that kind of thing! _

Aang saw the stunned look in her eyes. It looked like she was staring truth right in the face. He gloomed instantly. "You do, don't you…"

Katara still couldn't speak. Did he even know what he was saying? "Aang! What in the Earth Kingdom are you talking about?"

"Well you're always going on about one of them. And you get weird about it, really sensitive, like now." He reasoned, slightly worried about the look on her face.

"Sensitive? You're calling me sensitive?" Her voice was rising in defense.

Toph could hear the waterbender from outside. She shook her head before leaning back into the wall. _Katara really didn't handle the topic of Fire Nation royal's well._

Aang shrunk. He had no idea how to handle girls. They were scary sometimes. "I was just saying…you act a little different when he's around." He squeaked. Instantly wishing he had just stayed quiet.

Katara clenched her fists, burning holes in the boy's bald head. "Urrgg!" She screamed, fuming as she stormed out of the door.

Aang reached his arm out in a half attempt to bring her back, but just slouched against the stone counter. _Well that didn't go how I planned…_

Toph walked in the doorway with a hand on her forehead. "I swear, sweetcheek's tantrums are going to give me a headache. She nearly shook the whole house! My poor feet!" She complained.

"Meat? Where's the meat!" Sokka shot up from the couch, glancing around just as Suki was coming down the stairs.

_Oh Sokka…_ She shook her head sighing.

A few miles away from the outer wall, three teens stood at the edge of the forest. Well one was in an acrobatic stance on her elbows and forearms with her head resting on her hands; her was body vertical to the ground, feet bent back towards her head. Another had her arms crossed, tucked into the opposing sleeve and leaned casually against a tree in the shade. The last stood straight with her hands on her hips, a scowl on her lips, and her eyes focused on the great city of Ba Sing Sei.

Azula had been staring at the wall for at least half an hour. After making a clean get away from the wreckage of the drill, the three made their way back across the desert with the accompaniment of Ty Lee's humming and Mai's sighing. Around half way she'd snapped at them to stop making noise or she'd burn their hair off. Ty Lee pouted, Mai rolled her eyes, and Azula smirked the rest of the way back.

She wasn't smirking so much at the moment. She still needed to get inside Ba Sing Sei. It was her duty after all. Her brother and fuddy-duddy uncle were somewhere inside and if she just so happened to conquer the city while she was at it was a bonus. She was, after all, an overachiever.

Ty Lee was kicking her legs back and forth over her head in a metronomic fashion. It almost helped Azula to think, it was calming in a way, or maybe it was just Ty Lee. She rolled her eyes at that. Ty Lee dulled her senses if _anything_, but she was fun to keep around.

Azula reprimanded herself inwardly. She needed to focus. She _would_ capture the city _and_ her traitorous brother and uncle. She scoffed. Who really cared about them except for _father? _So perhaps they needed to be taught a lesson. Instead of living their pathetic lives in the Earth Kingdom they would spend it in a cell. Wasn't that pretty much the same? It was frankly a waste of her precious time, time which could be spent doing _important _things.

Her gaze turned back to the acrobat. She sighed. How unfortunate that those important things didn't secure her lavish lifestyle, though they did greatly enhance it. Regardless it would have to remain a hobby for the time being. She glared at the city as if hoping the fire in her eyes ignited it for her. She almost thought it had worked when a glint flashed off of something deep in the city. There was a reflection of it in the spark in her eye as she remembered a very important fact. The Avatar and all his little friends were also in the city. She smirked to herself, _they say don't combine business with pleasure but…since when have I ever listened to the rules._


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for the reviews again! And I introduce the tenth chapter of Azula's mischief, please do enjoy. **

Night fell over the City of Ba Sing Sei and the streets had long since cleared of activity. The upper rings held, not so surprisingly, the upper-class citizens of the city. The well crafted buildings housed aristocrats, politicians, wealthy citizens, and friends of the Earth King. The importance of those who lived in those rings granted them more security and safety than those who lived in the lower rings and outskirts of the main city. In the upper rings, Earth Kingdom soldiers themselves patrolled the streets at night, giving the citizens an eased state of mind and a feeling of security.

It was for that reason that Katara hadn't felt the need to return home when dusk began falling. It was the same reason she didn't wander back now that the sky was dark. She finished blowing off the steam of Aang's accusations and her own frustrations a while ago. Now she walked the barren streets to think.

Her mind somewhat mirrored the cool of the night, the sensitiveness she'd been accused of earlier was gone. She had to admit it was easier to look at the situation with more clarity and fairness now than at the time it happened. She sighed as she turned down another barren street. She had already passed several soldiers who eyed her strangely, but nodded to her as they went by. It was probably rare that people wandered the streets aimlessly, but she really didn't want to go back.

She had yelled at Aang. He was probably so upset and hurt by it, far more than was ever necessary. But he was right, she did get pretty sensitive when it came to Zuko. He attacked them countless times, always shouting how he needed to capture Aang. It was like he didn't even think of him as a person, which was probably why he insisted on calling him 'the Avatar' all the time.

She wondered about him though. The time they had seen him in the deserted town, he seemed so hurt. She almost wanted to help him after Azula attacked his uncle. She knew what it was like to lose a family member. Though she had no idea what it was like for that family member to be lost due to another. She really didn't understand them. Maybe that was the reason for her fascination.

There was shuffling in front of her. Her eyes that had been following the ground as she thought moved up to identify the noise. She gasped and took a step back as she reached the person's face.

"You!" She nearly shouted, pointing in a horrified manner. She couldn't believe it.

The person in front of her had jumped back in the same manner, just as surprised as she was. The two stood there staring at each other for a moment in complete shock before the recognized person took off running. Before she even thought about it, Katara followed in pursuit.

She chased them down several streets, winding past closed shops and merchant carts before they both ran down a dead end. Katara smiled victoriously to herself when she saw the runner turn down that street because she'd been there earlier. Panting, she cornered figure that had just spun around finding themselves trapped.

"I'm not here to hurt you!" he pleaded, finding nowhere to go.

"As if I'd believe that _Zuko_! Why on earth would I trust you?" She glared at the banished prince before her.

"I know you have no reason to…After everything I've done." Zuko trailed off, his eyes finding the floor.

Katara paused for a moment. He looked so different. Where was his fire? That fight in his eyes. He looked defeated instead. He was always such a martyr, fighting against all odds and relentless. Even though he had always been against her, she somehow always admired that in him. She shook her head at the thought. It was _Zuko_, one of the _royal siblings. _ They might as well be the hell children, but maybe it was just lately Azula. She looked at him again; her feelings of remorse and compassion for him started returning. No he wasn't stuck up like her. He was passionate, not self assured and boastful. He had a reason for fighting; she just did as she pleased. Katara shuttered. Maybe she was just grouping them instead of looking at them separately.

"What are you doing here?" She asked cautiously after a pause.

"Please don't tell anyone." His tone was sincere and caught Katara off balance. He almost seemed, afraid?

She stared at him, trying to read the truth in his body language. She felt for a strange reason like she could trust him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked with a little concern in her voice.

"My Uncle and I, we own a tea shop in the city." He mumbled, his raspy voice fading in the wind as he spoke.

Katara wanted to laugh. Zuko? Working in a tea shop? It had to be a prank. Zuko just looked a little embarrassed now.

"Sorry, I…I've only seen you chase me around…I can't imagine you doing something so…" she trailed off, thinking of the right word.

"Pathetic?" he spat, a familiar fire returning to his eyes. She was taken a back at his reaction. Why would he think something like that? Some of her almost warmed at it too. It was familiar.

"No, that's not what I was going to say at all. I was going to say peaceful." She said almost apologetically.

"Oh." He looked away again. It didn't seem he thought that was any better. He looked ashamed.

They remained quiet, neither quite knowing what to say.

"I-"

"You kn-"

They both spoke at the same time. Their eyes met and then both looked away uncertainly. Zuko gripped the fabric of his pants and spoke again.

"Uncle says…that what we do now, is honorable, but I can't help but feel like I've abandoned all my honor instead. I fought so hard to capture the Avatar, because my father said I couldn't return home without him. I'm a banished prince…and after all that, I leave the war…abandon my country" Zuko spoke freely, in a confessional sort of manner and paused. His grip tightened as she shut his eyes tightly. He and threw his arms aside and shouted "and for what? To serve tea!"

Katara felt her heart pulling. She honestly didn't like to see anyone hurting, no matter who it was. She was always told she had overwhelming compassion. Maybe she could understand where he was coming from. His voice sounded so pained. She knew he was angry, but it was from frustration, not hate. His own _father_ banished him. She couldn't imagine how that might feel.

"Zuko…" She spoke slowly. "I think you're honorable. The Fire Nation is terrorizing the world! Leaving the Fire Nation lines _is _an honorable thing." Katara tried to encourage, it was what she really believed.

He sighed. "That's because you aren't _from _the Fire Nation. I'm a traitor Katara."

She grimaced, trying to think of a way to soothe his pain. He had a point, but that was just his mindset. He wasn't a bad person; he was just on the wrong side.

She thought of how pained he was over his Uncle and what Aang had told her he did at the Northern Water Tribe. He had something in him, he could be good. He just didn't know how. He needed to think of it in a different way, a more worldly view. Then she got an idea.

"Zuko, why don't you come with us?"

He looked at her as if she'd grown a third head.

"If you see the world, and how everything is being affected, maybe you can change your mind! And by helping us, you can regain your honor your own way!" She declared. There was a passion burning in her eyes. She felt like she could help Zuko. He was just a poor lost soul, tainted by the Fire Nation. He could help them win, and restore peace in the world.

Katara could feel her heart racing. It made a lot of sense to her and gave her hope. She imagined him, fighting with them side by side, helping restore balance to the four nations. He looked heroic and strong.

"I don't think it's that easy Katara.."

She snapped out of her imagination to see the boy looking downcast to the side.

"But why?" she looked crestfallen.

"I don't know. I don't know what's right, Katara!" He shouted, frustrated with his own thoughts.

She glared at him. How could he not know? _He's so stupid!_ She looked away from him. She was so frustrated with _him_ that tears were welling up in her eyes. Why did she even care?

She stiffened when a large hand fell on her shoulder.

"Is everything okay here miss?" A deep gruff voice sounded from behind her.

Katara looked back to see Jeo looking down at her with a concerned etched in his rugged features. She wiped her eyes and flung the tears from her hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just _leaving._" She said, glaring at Zuko.

"Please allow me to escort you home." He said politely in a slight bow.

She nodded at him, for once tolerating his presence. She ignored the thought that she was doing this to make Zuko angry. She turned around with Jeo.

"Katara" He called after her.

"Goodnight Zuko." She voiced over her shoulder, allowing Jeo to lead her out of the ally.

She was lost in her thoughts for the next few minutes as they walked in silence. She was upset with Zuko, but as much as she hated to admit it she was upset with herself. How foolish had she been to simply offer him a place with the gang. It wasn't like she could trust him that easily. Yet somehow, he was so easy to talk to and she got the feeling he didn't do it very often.

They turned down another corner, but she didn't really notice. She did find it rather hard to talk to people. She normally listened, but found it hard to open up to people, even her friends. She could sit there all day and here them talk to each other, joke and laugh, but she was usually reserved. She certainty didn't share her feelings with any of them, she wasn't exactly comfortable, not even Aang. That was probably because he liked her, so she would feel strange telling him _everything._ So instead she listened to him talk, much the way she had let Jeo do all the talking earlier.

She paused her train of thought. Jeo hadn't spoken since they left Zuko. That was odd; he couldn't seem to shut up on the way to the house. She looked up at him from her place at his side. He was smiling, but it wasn't a normal smile. It looked sort of creepy. She turned her gaze forward, hoping to find herself close to the house, but met an empty dead end instead. Fear started to creep up her spine.

"This is a dead end." She stated hesitantly.

"So it is." He replied almost jokingly, "I thought we could spend some, _alone _time together."

Katara gulped. She did not like the way his low voice stressed the word alone. That was the last thing she wanted to be with him. She looked around, hoping to see one of the patrolling soldiers. Where were they now? _Oh right…in front of you. _She felt realization slipping over her. He was the captain, he knew where guard posts were and probably picked a dead spot.

She was walking backwards now as he kept coming towards her. There was a suggestive look in his eyes that frightened her. She instinctively reached for her waterskin, only to find it missing. She glanced down at where it should have been. _No, I left it on the counter!_

Katara was starting to panic. She could usually hold her own, but without water? That was going to be a problem. This guy was huge! She frantically looked around for someone, but all she saw was Jeo getting closer, his expression growing sleazier with every step. Katara took another step back and felt a stone wall behind her. She gasped. She was trapped. Katara glared at him, but couldn't manage to keep all of the fear out of her eyes.

"Oh don't look at me like that sweetie, I just wanna have some fun." He winked at her again and she felt like she wanted to puke.

"Well I don't so leave me alone!" She shouted at him.

His perverted grin turned to a frown. "Look girl, no one says no to me." His voice grew rougher. He wasn't kidding around.

Katara braced herself, checking her surroundings again. No water. He was about two steps away, if she broke at the right time she could make a run for it. Jeo took a step with his left and Katara made a quick break with her right. She cleared his reach by just a hair and ran down the rest of the ally. She was just about to turn the corner when she ran into another soldier.

"Oh thank the spirits you're here. That man is trying to hurt me!" She cried, almost clinging on to his uniform.

The soldier looked down at her and then at the man who was walking out of the ally. He took a hold of her shoulder and asked her softly.

"You mean that man right there?"

"Yes, yes that's him!" She cried.

"Captain." He addressed Jeo. The soldiers grip on her shoulder tightened. Katara seized up. _No…_

"No!" She shoved the soldier as hard as she could, but his grip was iron. He grabbed her and turned her around to face the Captain.

"I see you've got a pretty one tonight." The soldier said behind her, giving her bottom a rough squeeze. Katara shrieked at the contact.

Though she was a formidable fighter, she felt powerless. She knew all the implications of this situation; she was going to be violated. If she had focused and used her strength wisely, she might have been able to escape, but she was panicking. It didn't matter that she could defeat an entire brigade of Fire Nation soldiers, right now she felt like the weakest person alive. These men could rape her and no matter how strong she was she couldn't stop them. They were leading her back into the ally.

Jeo put his hand on her cheek as Katara felt hot tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't want this, she was afraid. She didn't like anything about this situation. She wanted to scream for help, but her voice was completely lost with fear. On top of everything that was about to happen to her, she felt absolutely pathetic. Katara clenched her eyes, not wanting to see the face of her attackers. Tears fell freely down her cheeks.

Suddenly, a sound of an explosion hit the wall behind Jeo, forcing him to spin around.

"A firebender!" He cried, turning away to face the new attacker.

Katara refused to open her eyes. She felt hope and relief coursing through her veins at the thought of a possible savior, even if they were a firebender. She feared if she opened her eyes they would disappear. Her heart screamed, thanking Yue for watching her.

She heard a rough grunt as Jeo slammed into the wall, knocked unconscious. There was heat swirling around the ally as she was released, nearly tossed to the ground as the other soldier tried to run away. Katara felt a rush of fire rush past her and heard a shriek just before the soldier was blasted through a shop window.

Katara remained huddled on the ground, her eyes still clenched shut. Her mind was racing as she heard footsteps in her direction. _Had Aang suddenly learned firebending?_ The footsteps became clearer and they sounded like they were made by boots. Her heart stopped for an instant. _Did Zuko come back for her? Had he followed her to make sure she was safe? _

She heard her hero come to a halt a few feet in front of her. A warm palm touched her cheek. Katara leaned into the touch. It felt gentle and kind. She brought her own hands to meet the touch, trying to cherish this moment of salvation for just a moment more. Katara felt lighter than air. She was moments away from the worst possible fate, but this person, this person here saved her. This person cared enough about her to make sure she was okay. _Zuko cares…_

"It seems you can't handle two lowly Earth Kingdom thugs, and here I almost considered you my rival."

Katara froze, shock registering harshly in her body. She was yanked from her day dream at the sharp tone, glistening with ridicule and a cool edge. The opposite of the low, raspy but warm voice she'd expected to hear. She reluctantly opened her eyes, very slowly as a Fire Nation uniform and the sharp porcelain features of the Princess of the Fire Nation came into view. Azula was crouched at her level, her arm extended forward, palm still resting gently on her cheek. Golden irises piercing the darkness, locked with her ocean blue ones. She couldn't breathe or move a muscle, much less drop her hands from Azula's. She just sat there and stared into her so called savior's predatory sight.

"You don't have to hold my hand you know, the big bad bullies are dead." She sneered, her eyes never leaving Katara's.

Katara nearly choked. The idea of those guards being dead somehow freeing her lungs.

"Y-you k-killed them?" Azula rolled her eyes at Katara's shocked expression. _Really, this girl nearly gets raped and then gets upset at the thought that they were killed? _

"Does it really matter?"

Katara didn't answer her.

"Oh _Agni_. I didn't. You're so pathetic." She drawled, her gaze turning back to Katara.

Katara glared at her, finally regaining control of her body. She shoved Azula's hand away from her face.

"How is that pathetic? It's a life!" She shouted at the cocky firebender.

Azula scowled. "So _they_ deserve to live after nearly raping you?" Her voice was hard, unlike the usual banter she threw at Katara.

"Of course!" She shouted defiantly.

The Princess's eyes narrowed in response. She grabbed Katara by her collar and shoved her against the wall roughly. As her back hit the wall, Azula grabbed both of Katara's arms and thrust them above her head. Azula leaned in dangerously, leaving barely an inch between their faces. Katara looked back at Azula, stunned.

"You wouldn't…" Katara breathed.

"Why not?" Azula asked carelessly. "Apparently I've done worse. After all, you condemn me every time we meet."

Katara couldn't answer. She stared, her mouth hanging open slightly.

Azula sneered. "You're sense of morality is just _so_ impressive."

Katara just continued to stare. There she was, in practically the same position she'd been in just minutes ago, the same helplessness, but she felt so different. She wasn't fighting, it didn't even occur to her to do so. She was getting warmer and warmer. She was too close to Azula, _way _to close. That was the only thought registering in her mind as golden globes bore into her.

Azula watched her carefully. Katara looked gone, the expression in her eyes was slipping into a vacant one. _Perhaps she's already gone through too much trauma for one night._

"I thought I already told you about you're little staring problem." Azula mocked.

Katara blinked at her, the usual presence returning to her eyes. Azula acknowledged this, it was…feisty.

"What the hell are you doing here anyway!" Katara barked at her, ignoring the flush that quickly rose to her cheeks.

Azula smirked at her. She enjoyed _this _Katara. The feisty one. It really was amusing that this girl was so informal with her, not to mention she dared to talk back in the first place.

"You do know deflection means you're hiding the truth. I _am _an excellent liar you know." Azula mocked.

Katara clenched her teeth. She _hated _that tone. It was so self assured and cocky, as if she knew she was right and just _taunted _you with it. She spoke so casually too, like she knew everything about you and waved you off as if you didn't matter at all. Worse than that, was that the tone had a very distinct characteristic. It was just slightly sensual, but it did the trick. Well.

"I stare because you're ugly!" Katara shouted. Usually she hated calling other girls ugly it was just too personal, but this was Azula. She needed to deliver a blow that would sting and get her to back off in more ways than one.

The Princess jerked back a little as if something bit her on the nose. She glared intensely at the waterbender before drawing another smirk. She leaned against the girl making full body contact, she leaned her face away so that her lips were right beside Katara's ear. She heard the girl gasp.

Azula let warm air caress Katara's ear as the girl shivered lightly against her. "Really?" Azula said slowly, just a sliver away from her ear.

Katara gulped. The warm breath on her ear nearly drew a whimper from her. _That wasn't supposed to happen_! Katara heart was beating fast now. She could have sworn it was thumping against Azula's armor the girl was so close to her. Despite what had been a relatively cool night, Katara's flesh felt heated and the warmth of the firebender did nothing to relieve her fever.

The actions of Azula were so different now from what she was used to. They were every bit as dangerous and depraved as usual, but instead of being directed in a violent manner, these were undeniably intimate. She was used to the flaming blue inferno, but it had always seemed cold and destructive. Now it held a heat that was threatening to consume her.

There had to be some way out. Katara took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself, as panic had been the blame of her last undoing. A warm cinnamon scent with hints of peach ambushed her senses. Before she realized it, she found herself trying to draw more of the intoxicating aroma. Her hooded blue opened as her vision was met with the source of the air that now filled her lungs, the silky raven hair of the Princess.

"W-what are y-you doing here." Katara managed to whisper.

Azula smirked, withdrawing from the waterbender's ear. Her face was heavily flushed even though her dark skin. Her body was clearly out of her control at this point, but a defiant ray still glinted in her icy stare.

"Oh peasant, what did I tell you about avoiding questions?" She taunted, shifting her hands so she held both of Katara's wrists with her right.

"You're doing the same thing."

Azula narrowed her eyes at the waterbender. "As if I'd tell you."

"Probably trying to kill Aang again." Katara spat, struggling against Azula's grip.

Azula just rolled her eyes, "Can't I just be here on vacation? I'm not as single minded as my brother you know."

Katara glared at her, the expression in her eyes yelled liar.

"Oh please. I really have better things to do than chase a bald kid all over the world. He isn't very entertaining."

"As if I'd believe you! Whatever you're here to do can't possibly be innocent."

"I did _rescue _you didn't I? Besides, I didn't claim to be _innocent_" Azula stated, placing two fingers under Katara's chin. Katara gulped, Azula's tone was _much_ more erotic than she remembered.

"P-probably just to capture me and use me as bait!" Katara put on a defiant mask, but was wavering under Azula's dangerous touch. _Damn it Azula, don't do that!_

Azula tilted her head as if to consider the statement. "That would be a good idea, wouldn't it." She smirked as Katara's eyes went wide. "Oh don't look so surprised. You _were_ the one that suggested it."

Katara was boiling. Azula always did this to her, taunting her endlessly. Katara would throw back smart remarks of her own, but it was almost like Azula was waiting for them so she could flip them right back in her face. It was infuriating, especially the way she did it. Azula had Katara wrapped around her little finger and merely batted her back and forth, giving her 'chances' to escape, only to block of the other exit. The worst part was that Azula made her more riled up over these encounters than most of her other offenses.

Katara was just about to yell something nasty at the firebender when she noticed a change in the girl's expression. She was scowling and her concentration seemed elsewhere.

"You're boyfriend is here."

Katara answered before she could even think. "He's not my boyfriend!"

"Good. Not that I respect those sorts of boundaries anyway." Azula leered, smirking. The waterbender was always so quick to refute that point.

Katara took a moment to figure out what Azula was insinuating. Her mouth dropped, but she couldn't find a thing to say, her mind unable to register which feeling to process first. She was appalled, surprised, confused, interested, and almost flattered all at the same time.

Katara tried to speak again, but the warm presence that had just been before her was gone. The space in front of her felt empty, as if the air couldn't quite fill it the way Azula had. As she stared blankly forward, something orange appeared in her peripheral.

"Katara!"

The orange blur ran towards her. Katara blinked, attempting to regain her composure before Aang got there.

"Hey, uhm…" he paused looking at the surroundings, obviously indicating signs of battle. "You didn't come back." He said slowly, concern filling his voice, "I was worried."

Katara looked at the boy. He could have guessed what happened. He was young, but a lone girl and two large men in a desolate alleyway didn't conclude a whole lot of scenarios.

"Yeah…" she said slowly, just remembering what happened before Azula had gotten there. It didn't seem that important or dramatic anymore, she was still thinking about what the Princess had said. Aang still looked really worried and unsure of what to say. He was probably still affected by her little episode earlier.

"Thanks Aang." He looked up at her hopefully. "I'm fine now. Let's go home." She smiled warmly.

He looked around one more time, recognizing one of the fallen soldiers as Jeo. He gritted his teeth in anger. Katara could defend herself, but he wanted to be there for her anyway. He wished he had been.

As he tightened his fists, Katara noticed Aang's anger. It was a rare sight; he was true to his monk upbringing and rarely got upset like this. She noticed another emotion in his eyes, he felt guilty. She softened slightly and pulled him into a hug, knowing he probably needed more than she did. He relaxed slightly in his arms. Katara often made him feel like things were going to be okay, something he needed a lot these days. The two separated before sharing a soft smile and walked back in the direction of their house.

Azula watched the two from her place in the shadows, a mild tone of disgust lay in her expression. That boy was seriously a pain. She did, however, also watch with a slight spark of interest. He was so obviously smitten with the waterbender, who was in Azula's standards, acceptably attractive. It was pretty amusing; he seemed hopeless in the matter, not that a little boy would know anything about women anyway. To him, Katara _smiling _at him was a sign. _Please, _Azula thought while rolling her eyes at the chirpy expression Aang wore, _she smiles at everyone. Except me of course, but I get much better reactions out of her anyway. _

She'd love to see the _big and oh so powerful _Avatar evoke any sort of reaction like _that _in the water peasant. In a head on competition, the airbender wouldn't stand a chance. It was much more impressive to make someone like you _against_ their will. Even with Katara resisting, that boy couldn't ever make her feel the way Azula could. Azula smirked; _sneaking into the city was worth the trouble after all._

With having indulged in at least a little fun, Azula disappeared deeper into the shadows to do further recon in of the city.

Back at the gang's house, Suki climbed the stairs to the master bedroom. She never would have imagined herself having trouble walking up a flight of stairs, but each step seemed to take a toll on her resolve to face the earthbender.

They didn't have to talk about what happened on the drill. Although it was something she had thought about for nearly the entire day, Suki wasn't sure if she had the guts to ask Toph about it. The younger girl was inordinately stubborn and as standing up for Suki was far out of her range of normal activities; Suki imagined it wasn't something Toph wanted to talk about. And when Toph didn't want to talk about something, she shut you out with a literal stone wall.

Suki sighed as she leaned against the railing. She was so out of character around Toph. It irritated her. She wasn't the sort of person that took no for an answer. She didn't shy away from things like this. But with a single glance at the callous earthbender, Suki faced the other way and started whistling. The girl could read her like a _book_, how could she possibly interrogate someone like that. She would see Suki's motives in the first beat of her heart. Suki turned her gaze to the doorway at the top of the stairs, it seemed to threaten her.

Toph was in there. She could probably tell that Suki was lamely standing on the stairs. Suki scoffed lightly, thinking that the attentive girl could probably hear the thoughts screaming about her head. It didn't really matter; they were so jumbled, yelling over each other that Suki couldn't even understand them. She wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to.

It wasn't like she was stupid. All evidence pointed to a conclusion, but that didn't mean she had to _say _it, not even to herself. If she did, if she let that small voice ring clear in her head she'd have to face it. That was something Suki desperately wanted to avoid. What point was there in admitting anything anyway? It wasn't as if she could _do _anything about it. Apparently things were different in the Fire Nation, but she lived in the Earth Kingdom and the way they saw it was like Sokka. To them, the Fire Nation was just a hoard of perverts. Everyone knew that.

And yet, something in Suki beat against that. It was small, but held its own sort of ferocity. When she saw Azula and Ty Lee together it felt like something broke loose, something strong. It practically overpowered her when Azula had her pinned to the wall. It scared her, but a part of it felt so natural. So…right, like it was an inalienable truth that Suki had always known. A part of her felt a sort of freedom that she could only liken to the one she felt while fighting and that was the purest expression she knew. She didn't really know, but she had a feeling that whatever she felt then could be purer than the freedom of fighting.

She stared longingly at the soft blue glow seeping through the doorway. _But that isn't possible…is it?_


End file.
